


The Fae Prince

by Lilafly



Series: In The Beginning [1]
Category: Caspanas
Genre: Angst and Feels, Gen, Koruna, Minor Character Death, Nordberg, child perspective
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-12-14 17:05:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 99,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11787570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilafly/pseuds/Lilafly
Summary: In the year 802 a.w. on the night of the summer solstice, the palace of Monabur caught fire in which the royal twins had gotten caught. Only princess Preciosa escaped the flames and told the story of how she saw her brother getting murdered by another equine. The whole desert land Koruna is now after those who bear the Caspana curse, since one of them is bound to be the prince's murderer.Unknown to anyone, the prince himself is this Caspana and has to flee from the place he calls his home. But how does one completely leave behind their life and most especially, how does one deal with a curse that makes you a wanted criminal for a crime you were actually the victim of?





	1. A Dead Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a prequel to "Caspanas" as a main work and is completely canon with the comic itself. It's about Drako's backstory, what he experiences as a kid and how he became who he is in the comic. 
> 
> It is part one of an origin series I am planning to write for several characters, so stay tuned for more!

** Prologue **

* * *

**A Dead Prince**

_22nd Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Celestia_ **

Nobody could do anything but to watch the castle, the pride of our country, burn. The flames were merciless and ate away everything that was in their way, no matter if it was of value, if it was just stone or if it even was a life.

The flames slowly died down and I thought back on the previous evening when everything had yet been normal. Or at least what we had considered normal. A lot would change now for sure.

What definitely changed was something that did not just cut deep into my heart, but into everyone’s in the country: the loss of an innocent child that would have someday been king. He would never be that now. A tear slid down my face when I thought about Draco. He was the most inquisitive child I have ever gotten to know and he has spent about as much time in my library as he has with sneaking out of the castle and playing on the streets of Monabur. It was hard to realize that he was forever gone now.

Again I remembered what I saw and also thought about what Preciosa had told not just me but everyone else. A black figure with eyes glowing in the color of fire. Fangs had been in their mouth and orange markings had climbed up his legs like the flames themselves. It had truly been a frightening figure and I was afraid that my memories would play tricks on me later due to the shock, so I wrote down the facts on a parchment.

What was expected of me now was simple: While the destroyed part of the castle was being rebuilt, I was to remain in the royal library - which had through a miracle stayed unharmed. The gods clearly were watching over us after all – and research everything possible about the being that had escaped the fire, for it was a main culprit.

I soon realized that this search was harder than I expected. The things I had noted down applied to many creatures at once, so that it was impossible to determine which creature exactly it was. All I found were either demons or fae, but it was impossible to declare war on all fae kind and on demons. I was just about to give up, when I heard Talitha pipe up in anger.

»Hey! No admittance! How did you get past the guards!?« the desert Raccardi bellowed while floating in mid-air and carrying a huge book in her small hands that was almost the size of her whole body. Meanwhile the winged feline creature glared at the intruder with her green eyes, but did not look the least bit intimidating, especially not since she was a Raccardi, who were regarded as nothing but slaves in most countries and especially here. While I did not regard her as a slave, I clearly saw that the white coated mare, that had entered the library, seemingly did. She did so much as to raise an eyebrow at the furry creature and proceeded to stroll towards me. She was quite young. Not yet an adult but also too old to be considered a child. There was no way that she could have gotten past the guards on her own, so they must have let her through.

»Is there something of utmost importance? If not, then please leave again. I am busy.« I said but still tried to sound friendly. If there had ever been a time where I did not want visitors, it was now.

»My apologies ma’am, but I assure you that my visit here is of reasons of urgency.« the mare said to which I blinked mildly confused. She spoke quite unusual for a girl her age. But probably she has just been raised well. Nothing out of the ordinary for upper class children.

»Which would be?« I asked and put the quill back into  the holder.

»The culprit, Miss Herua. I happen to know not _who_ but _what_ it was. I have encountered his kind before.«

The white mare had my interest and I eagerly looked into her ice blue eyes.

»Please tell! This would be an incredible help! Also tell me every detail you know about ›his kind‹, as you said. What is it called?«  I asked in excitement and dipped my quill into the ink pot.

»He was a Caspana. They are cursed horses who are driven by dark magic and therefore also by dark intentions. I have no doubt that it was him who caused the fire and who killed the prince.«

My quill flew over the parchment as I struggled to write everything down word by word.

»Who cursed them?« I asked.

»A goddess of the old generation. She was a dark goddess and her name was Duana. No one has seen her for centuries but she must be alive, otherwise the curse would not exist anymore.«

»An immortal curse maybe.« I mumbled and made notes. »How does she curse those individuals?« To my surprise, the white mare shook her head.

»She cursed them once, over eight hundred years ago. The curse is hereditary. It awakes when the individual who bears it dies. Then they turn crazy and make killing their sole life goal. They are pretty smart about it though and possess incredible amounts of skill when it comes to magic.«

»That sounds dire.« I mumbled in worry while my handwriting became hard to read due to the speed I wrote notes in.

»It is dire, Miss Herua. The part that is the most dire is that they look like any normal horse at day. The black form with the oddly colored markings and the same colored, bright glowing eyes, is something they only change to at night. But even then most use illusion spells to disguise themselves. It is hard to find them.« The white mare paused.

»I know just one thing that can truly harm them: iron. Through the curse they have become part fae and therefore iron burns their skin.«

When I noted down that last one, I encircled it.

»Is there more?« I asked eagerly, ready to find out what would have been hours and days of research now in mere minutes.

»Pardon, but this is all I know. I hope it helps.« the mare said apologetic. I frowned in disappointment.

»There must be more.« I argued. »You said you encountered Caspanas before. What was it like?«

The mare looked to the side. »They killed my family.« she said, to which I quickly lost my inquisitiveness.

»My condolences.« I said empathetically.

»It is alright.« the white mare said, but did not look comforted. Well, how so? After all she must be under shock after seeing or at least hearing of a Caspana again when her family had been killed by one. When the silence grew too thick, Talitha dared to speak again.

»I do not want to sound rude, but if that was all you had to say, you should leave now. We thank you for narrowing down our research topic, but research must still be done. We cannot serve anything half-baked to the king. His son has been killed after all.«

The white mare looked peeved by the Raccardi’s mere presence, but if she had any foul words on her tongue, she did not say them.

»I have to agree with Talitha.« I said, to give my small friend’s voice some more meaning in the white coated mare’s ears. She still did not reply but fell into a bow, then she departed.

When she reached the door she halted again.

»If I would be a Caspana, I would first kill whoever tries to find out about my identity. So I recommend you to find something with iron to protect yourself. Even something as simple as a spoon will give them hellish pain when it touches their skin.« With these words, she left the library.

Dead silence hung above the huge empty halls with books upon books. Again it was Talitha who broke it.

»Definitely a suspicious fellow. I will go ask the guards about her while you research further. We cannot risk any false information.« and with that also my Raccardi companion was gone.

A drop of ink fell on the parchment, which quickly reminded me that I still hovered the quill over it. I put it down on the table and began to read over my scribbled notes. Suspicious fellow or not, she had given me a lead and I was not about to just drop this possibly precious information.

In the time I waited for Talitha to return I again thought about the previous evening. It had not even been a whole day since then and it still felt so vividly alive in my memory that it was hard to not think about it. With a sigh I laid my notes aside to dry, pulled out a book from my drawer, opened the recent page and started to write.

 

21st Simivisonios 8 0 2 a.w.

It all started like a normal day and in some years I will wonder how it could begin in such an ordinary way, but it ended in a catastrophe.

 


	2. Summer Solstice

** Chapter 1 **

* * *

**Summer Solstice**

_21st Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Celestia_ **

It all started like a normal day and in some years I will wonder how it could begin in such an ordinary way, but it ended in a catastrophe.

 

When I was about halfway through closing up the library and getting ready for the celebrations in town - it was Summer Solstice after all – I heard the door to the main hall of the castle open and close once rapidly. Small hooves clattered on the ground in a hurried pace and then…silence.

I sighed, since I already had a pretty good guess who it was, even without further investigating.

»The bookshelves don’t give you good cover from whoever may enter through the hallway.« I said, not even lifting my head as I kept tidying up my workspace. I heard the sound of hooves again and Draco came out from behind the shelves I had suspected him behind. The way he looked let me inevitably arch an eyebrow.

»Don’t ask.« he muttered, clearly embarrassed by the piece of ruby red and golden fabric he had been forced into. It was not that he looked bad in it. No, far from it. But it was such a drastic difference to what he normally wore, that it still looked weird to me.

»It’s Summer Solstice and you are expected to make a public appearance. I think this is an appropriate garment.« I commented to cheer him up a little. It did not work.

»But I wanted to go to the festival with Rylon! I promised him!« the chestnut colt sulked to which I could only muster an empathetic smile.

»Maybe we can convince your parents together that you and I can go over the festival after the ceremony at the temple and then we can meet Rylon. Does that sound good?« I suggested, even though I had little hope that this plan would work. His parents were the king and queen of Koruna after all and Draco was their only son and therefore also only heir. To let him walk around on the biggest festival of the year, even _with_ an S-Class mage like myself at his side was something they probably would not allow.

Regardless of the probability of this idea to succeed, Draco perked up at the mention of it.

»Oh, please try and convince them! That would save my life!«

»Don’t be such a drama queen.« I said with an amused eye roll, to which Draco scowled.

»Are you confusing me with my sister?« He asked, clearly annoyed by the sheer prospect of it.

»No, your sister is not inclined to being melodramatic. That is more your cup of tea.« He frowned at me. »It’s true. After all, are you or Preciosa comparing the end of the world to a simple ceremony at a temple?«

»You’re mean.« Draco said and looked away with a sulking expression.

»Suck it up. Or do you want your sister to be better than you at everything?« Talitha threw in from behind me and I had to agree with her. While Draco was incredibly smart for a child his age – which no doubt came from his overly supreme education – he was also an absolute rebel. Everything that was asked of him in regards to becoming the future king was something he disregarded with a passion. He preferred to escape the castle as often as possible to run around town under a cloak with an illusion spell, so no one would recognize him. While I supported his decision to see and learn more of the common city life itself and also of the further outside world through various books, he had grown to be a dare devil. Climbing on the palace’s roof, freeing Raccardis from the slave market, trespassing on private property and claiming to be his best friend Rylon’s cousin who was suddenly starting to go to regular school with him, were only a few of the things that had earned him a lot of trouble.

»Prech is not better than me at everything! She is only good at being a perfect princess.« Draco argued with disdain in his voice.

»I take it was _her_ you were running away from just now?« I said knowingly. The colt grimaced.

»Also. I planned to escape the servants because they forced me to wear this.«

I nodded in seeming understanding as if his clothing really was the worst part about all this. »Then I guess I will have to get you back to them, otherwise I might lose my job. You being late on the day of the Summer Solstice is not acceptable, so get back to the Raccardis and let them finish their work. They have enough else to do as it is.«

»I don’t have anything against them. They are nice. I just do not like this cloak-thingy, however it is called.«

»Let us just call it a festive garment. Can’t go wrong with that.« I replied, since the exact name of the piece of clothing had slipped my mind for the moment. I was an astral mage and a librarian after all, not a fashion designer. Draco still sulked about it but eventually began his departure from the library, muttering something about »useless knowledge« and »not getting caught by Prech«.

»Speaking of garments, don't you still have to dress up for the festivities too?« Talitha remarked when the door behind the young prince had closed. With that she brought me back to my previous task of cleaning up my workspace and closing the library down for the day. Returning to my house in the center district would not be much of a walk, but it was still a close call.

 

The celebrations then began with everyone pilgrimaging to the Heaven Temple to hear the Prayer. It was the most important tradition of the Solstice festival. The royal family, who was considered closest to the gods, prayed to them, while about all of Koruna did the same, just when the sun touched the horizon. Of course not all fit in front of the Heaven Temple, so also the neighboring streets and plazas were fully packed. Exceptions were made for the wealthy, who pretty much bought themselves places closest to the temple, but then there were also those who camped out for a day or more to get a good place. I, on the other hand, was neither royal, nor rich. The only thing I could brag with was my job as a librarian at the Royal Library and my part time occupation as an S-Class mage.

»We are not going to get through this.« Talitha remarked after half an hour of pushing through the crowd.

»I at least want to get to the main plaza. The sunset is best seen from there.«

»Ok, first: You see the sunset every day and have seen the summer solstice sunset fourteen times in your life already. Second: You see Draco every day and the rest of the royal family occasionally, so there is no real need for you to see them now. I say we just stay here and leave the other people a chance to get a glimpse at it.« the Raccardi remarked and crossed her arms in annoyance while sitting on my back.

»I guess you do have a point.« I sighed, though I could feel an itch of disappointment inside of me. Missing out on an astronomical event like this was like not drinking water. It could be sufferable, but only for a certain length of time. And this was like missing out on some cold, crystalline, holy water.

 

Everyone waited in excited anticipation for the sun to set and the torches to be lit, which would signify the beginning of the festivities. Talitha and many other Raccardis flew up to be able to glimpse above the buildings and see how far the sunset was and therefore how long it would still take. Most of the little furry creatures did so on their masters’ orders though and not out of own curiosity. Talitha however had always been impatient. She flew up at least five times to check and even when she wanted to fly up a sixth time, I did not stop her, but tried to present an image of patience. At that moment a melodic sound could be heard. Probably a louder version of a glass harp.

Everyone fell quiet upon hearing it playing the hymn of Koruna. No one sang with it to not interrupt the beautiful sound, though some kids could be heard piping up mockery versions of the hymn, which earned them an immediate scolding of their parents and many hushed voices telling them to be quiet. When the hymn ended, the torches were being lit and everyone, may it be equines, canines, felines, camels or other creatures, fell into a respectful bow, which created a big shuffling noise. The prayer was something everyone knew by heart, so a unified mumble of the same verses rose.

 

_By day and night, by sun and moon,_

_Let the air be clear and carry our tune._

_The light of stars will guide us in doubt,_

_Shall they shine, day in day out._

_Almighty gods, forgive us our sins._

_Grace us with water, grace us with winds._

_You choose death, you gift birth,_

_Be bringers of fire, make fertile the earth._

_You gifted us this destiny,_

_With kindness and serenity._

_Trust our souls, we swear on our lives_

_To make the world to which you once strived._

_Be our guides and protect us from those_

_Who cannot be helped, who darkness chose._

When the last verses echoed out, a moment of silence befell the whole city. Then a collective sound of shuffling was heard again and everyone rose from their bow.

A voice suddenly could be heard above all. A voice which made those who had started to speak, shut their mouth. It was King Yandro, who could be heard loud and clear over several blocks through the help of some air mages.

»May the gods always watch over us and bring us luck in our lives.«

A roar of applause, praise and general jubilation went through the crowd. It turned the silence into a loud buzz of voices, which slowly transformed into the sounds of the festival. Lanterns were floating up to the sky in celebration of the longest day of the year, which added themselves to the already visible stars, forming weird new constellations for only a few minutes. Also some kites with little lights glowing on their strings, floated in the sky, each depicting a creature of honor. Some were a phoenix, as a symbol for fire, others were in the forms of white seals, which were meant to be selkies, representative of water. Overall water and fire were most spread in the symbolistic kites. Only a few formed like dragons, beautiful birds, kitsune or even other creatures, floting in the sky.

I stood at a street corner and watched them soar in the air, from time to time even nudging them with a playful breeze of my own until Talitha suddenly started yelling in loud protest.

»Hey! Mind your own rump, you perv! Oh, hi Terence.«

My attention was quickly drawn from the kites back down to the street. Or more precisely to the grullo stallion behind me.

»Happy Summer Solstice Celli. And Talitha.« he said with a grin.

»He touched your butt.« Talitha dryly remarked and crossed her arms. I raised an eyebrow.

»You did?«

»Squealer.« He hissed to Talitha, who just shrugged.

»Took forever to find you. I thought you would be up front, so I waited there half the day, but apparently you were not there.«

»I was running late when I closed up the library and squeezing my way to the front was not really an option. But, you know, you could have just come to the library if you wanted to talk to me.« I said and, with a last glance at the kites, started to walk. When I did not have to work anyway, I could as well enjoy the festivities and allow me a little treat. Some of the best baked goods were available at the festival’s market after all. Terence followed me.

»To watch you read books? Not really entertaining. And getting you out of the library early to go to the Solstice market with me was clearly not an option, so it was not worth the effort.«

»You know, this is exactly the reason why we are not dating anymore.«

»That, and she loves her job more than you.«

»Talitha!« I exclaimed indignantly. The Raccardi just shrugged.

»What? It’s true.« she said and kept flying between me and Terence. »It’s been a year. If you keep that fascination up for more than a decade I will start to worry.«

»Don’t worry, I will drag her out of there before that happens.« Terence said with a grin.

»Don’t you dare do that! Both of you!« I said, adding the latter when I noticed Talitha’s agreeing nod with Terence’s proclamation. »Anyway, what are you doing these days Terence? Still mage jobs?«

»Sort of. I don’t exactly need much to live and what I do not spend on own food or rent goes to those who need it more than I do.«

»That’s…actually really generous of you.« I said with slight admiration in my voice.

As we walked on like this, we talked about several topics. On some occasions my focus drifted to Terence’s eyepatch, but I always quickly looked away again. To drown in feelings of regret was not what I wanted to do this evening, also when I knew that it was not entirely my fault that he lost his left eye. The story to that better should remain in the very back of my mind and Terence seemed to think the same. Ever since the _incident_ and our following breakup, we have not seen each other much and talked even less, so this walk together over the festival’s market was kind of…nice. It was like nothing ever happened and as if we would be in Magic Academy again.

When we were just talking about old times from said school, while eating some sun shaped goods made out of yeast dough, coated with chocolate, we heard the first screams. At first we did not think anything of it, since it was common that many crimes took place at huge festivals like the Summer Solstice. But when more screams cut in, we raised our heads to the source…and froze. Everyone else in the plaza did the same. Then movement came into the crowd. Some started to scream of terror, while others ran, either to get away or to get closer to the place of the catastrophe.

 

A part of the palace was shining brightly in the night. It was on fire.

 

The following minutes were a blur. As soon as we grasped the situation, Terence and I stormed off to the castle, pushing ourselves through the panicking crowd. I did not dare to teleport, out of fear someone could move into the spot I had chosen as a destination - and that could only end ugly, I had seen many pictures in books that had given me nightmares. Despite the lack of teleportation, we managed to move with utmost haste. A whole army of guards stood in a row in front of the castle and held spectators at bay. Terence and I pushed our way through.

»I’m the head librarian and he is a fire mage. We can help.« I said in a determined voice as we arrived the row of guards. They let us through, though probably only because of my status. Several other mages were already at work, trying to tame the flames and getting them out.

»Celestia! Celestia! It’s horrible!« Gindrine, an elder Raccardi servant yelled, her eyes full of tears and panic.

»We noticed!« Talitha said, also being in a state of panic.

»No, I mean Draco and Preciosa are still in there!« Gindrine explained and desperately watched the mages who tried to get into the burning building.

My mind went blank. Draco and Preciosa. They were just kids. There was no way they could get out there alive! No, that was not true. They were smart kids and they knew the castle better than anyone else. If someone would be able to make it out of there, it was them. Still I set my hopes in those who went into the fire and tried to save them. A few meters away I saw Yandro and Talea, heavily guarded, and they also stared into the fire. Talea had to be held where she was by several guards to not run into the fire herself to save her children. Yandro meanwhile just watched the windows and the gate with a desperate determination.

While I tried to take away the air from the fire and therefore suffocate it, I watched Terence out of the corner of my eye. I knew him well enough to notice that he held an inner fight between his urge to storm into the fire and try to save the royal children and his sense of reasoning, that told him that with only half of his eyesight, he would not be much of a help maneuvering through the burning building.

I did not keep track of the time at all, so I do not know if it were minutes or hours. Pegasi and Raccardis tried to fly up to the windows with water buckets and threw the liquid on the flames, while mages tried what they could from where they stood. It was a desperate fight and for now, the cause of the fire was unnecessary. It could be worried about later. All that mattered right now was to get it out and to get the twins out of the palace.

Finally, after I was almost at the end of my strength, a small equine figure stormed out of the flames, her coat singed and burned on a few places and her tail almost completely gone. Talea broke free from the guards that kept her back and embraced her daughter in a relieved and tearful hug. But her attention quickly was on the fire again. But that was all there was to see. Fire.

»There was someone.« Preciosa eventually said with fear in her voice. Talea went pale.

»Where is Draco?« she asked, hoping that her daughter could bring good news. Instead, Preciosa just sobbed.

»I-I…The ceiling came down and he pushed me out of the way. He couldn’t get through and said he would find another way and that I should run.« she sobbed more. Everyone hung on her lips.

»T-t-there was this…person. A horse. They were an adult but still young. I could only see a silhouette of them. It was not Draco. They…they killed Draco!« the princess broke down at that and so did Talea. Yandro was at their side in a second but also he could not help but cry at this revelation.

Everyone who had heard the news had fallen silent, some even abandoning their tries to extinguish the fire. Draco was dead. I did not know how to take it. I felt my legs go numb and I fell to the ground, lying there in shock. Terence nudged me in silent comfort and Talitha curled up at my side, crying. For some reason I could not cry. I just felt empty. Very, very empty. I had seen Draco earlier today, alive as ever. He could not be dead. He could not be.

I was not the only one in denial. Talea had jumped to her legs again and tried to get into the building, wanting to find her son alive and begging to the gods that Preciosa has been wrong. The guards again held her back.

»Have you maybe seen the stranger again when you ran away? Can you describe their coat color or markings?« Yandro asked his daughter. He had called over a few fire mages who were willing to go into the building again to find the prince or his murderer.

»Black. He was black. Black coat, black mane.« Preciosa said and thought harder. »I could not see more.« she sobbed. Yandro comforted his daughter while the mages stormed into the building and a few guards still were keeping the queen from storming into the burning palace.

Then it happened.

It was black. It was quick. It was equine. My eyes quickly followed it and could only distinguish fiery glowing eyes and flame-shaped markings of the same color on the legs, before the figure was already gone. It had been too quick, too nimble to determine an age and if Draco was dead and the mages were still in the building then this was…

»That’s him!« Preciosa yelled and the guards took after the fleeing equine that had found cover in the crowd of spectators.

 

The search after him and the task of putting out the fire was something that took the whole night. In the end only the latter was marked with success. The murderer had escaped.

 

……………………………………..

 

I put down the quill and stood up from my desk. To not start crying again I would need some distraction. Talitha meanwhile had returned with the message that the mare, who had been here earlier, had been let in by the guards and was indeed a valid source for information. It seemed promising. With the mind still at the escaped Caspana, I started to stroll through the library and pulled out books that seemed promising enough to hold information on the topic. _Year Zero: The big war of the Gods and further back_ , _Curses and Enchantments_ , _Faerie Beasts_ , _The Unseelie Court: A Reference Guide_ and _Immortal Creatures_.

I returned to my desk, the books floating behind me in a magic grip. I let them fall on the desk, but could not find the motivation to open them right away. With a sigh I turned to the little room in the back, which I called mine, and pulled some dried meat out of a drawer. I had not eaten anything since breakfast and slowly it was showing. While I chewed on the piece of meat, I was about to heat some water to make tea. When I levitated the tea kettle over though, I paused. With further inspection, the tea kettle turned out to be made of iron.

 _Hmm, what did the white mare say again? Have something out of iron ready just in case. Well, it’s not like I have anything better right now._ I thought and took the kettle with me. Talitha, who had laid down on a pillow, raised her head and arched an eyebrow.

»What are you doing with an empty tea kettle?«

»Iron for protection. I don’t have a sword or anything, so this is better than nothing.« I said, while sitting down on my desk. I cracked open _Curses and Enchantments_ and started to skim through the table of contents.

»So let me get this straight: You will try to protect yourself against an insane fae murderer with a _tea kettle_.«

»Yep.«

»Maybe you should take a break with the research. It seems to have fried your brain.«

»No way. I am on to something now. I can sleep when I’m finished.«

»You-« Talitha anyhow did not come to finish her sentence, because suddenly the doors to the library’s outside entrance swung open. A dark equine stood in the entrance, face and body hidden under a black cloak. They bolted between the shelves before either of us could really get a good look at them, but we both noticed the fiery markings on the legs.

For a moment neither Talitha nor I dared to even breathe. Then I magically closed the doors, took the kettle in my magic and slowly stood up from my desk.

»Bad idea, bad idea!« Talitha hissed quietly, as I started to approach the shelves and she was probably right. I did not care though, because that monster had killed Draco and for that, I was willing to let them suffer hellish pain! And if iron burned their skin, I would glue the damned kettle to their eyes if needed until they begged for mercy.

When I rounded the corner I saw the figure move backwards in the narrow path between the shelves. They have realized that the path they chose was a dead end, so backing away was their only option. Except of course they decided to attack. That was their second option. But they would only leave this library over my dead body. With a cold glare I moved closer to the equine. They had now hit the back shelf and were sitting in the corner. Trapped. The closer I came, the more fear I had. Something about this creature was wrong. So very wrong. Its existence was not natural and this filled me with unease. Furthermore, I feared it for its unnaturalness and for what it generally was and would probably do. It was an inexplicable fear, for I usually was not one to jump to conclusions. Then again, this creature had killed Draco, so there was no reason to show mercy.

»I didn’t do it. Please, Celestia, I swear didn’t do it.« a voice from below the cloak whispered in fear when I was about to hit the equine with the tea kettle. Out of surprise I lost grip on the iron kitchen ware, which fell to the ground with a metallic clank and rolled in the direction of the cloaked equine, getting to a halt at their leg, which immediately let out a hiss.

»Ow!« he yelled and jumped up as if the tea kettle was a poisonous snake. He backed further away into a corner and quietly whimpered, holding up the leg that had been burned by the kettle. Apparently it hurt more than just a normal burn.

I still stood where I was, still as a statue. What had surprised me was not that it was the voice of a child and not even that it clearly was in a state of submissive fear. No, what shocked me was that this child knew my name. One would argue that as the head librarian of the royal library I might be known well, but actually that was not the case. And even less _children_ knew my name. Not only that, but those who did know me called me _Miss Herua_.

I listened more closely to the whimpering voice and suddenly the truth hit me.

»Draco?« I asked quietly, my voice sounding raspy.


	3. Cursed For Life

** Chapter 2 **

* * *

**Cursed For Life**

_21 st – 22nd Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Draco_ **

By Cynfor! How can you have forgotten the last two verses of the prayer!?«

»They are more complicated than the first two verses.« I muttered, my voice dripping from disinterest. This seemed to fuel my sister’s anger even more though.

»Complicated!« she spat, stunned with disbelief. »They are the most important verses of the prayer, Draco! They tell the story of how this country was formed and the beliefs we still hold!

 

_You gifted us this destiny,_

_With kindness and serenity._

_Trust our souls, we swear on our lives_

_To make the world to which you once strived._

_Be our guides and protect us from those_

_Who cannot be helped, who darkness chose._

 

How can you _forget_ them!?« Preciosa yelled so loudly that she probably scared off some birds on the castle’s roof.

»It’s not like anyone really noticed. Everyone was saying the prayer, not just me.« Luckily. Otherwise I might have really died from shame.

» **I** noticed! Which is bad enough. You should better repeat those verses for the rest of the day so that you will not embarrass yourself in public anymore.« Preciosa bawled me out.

»You noticed because you stood right _next to_ me, Prech. And I think I will learn them eventually. Does not have to be this evening.«

»May the gods have mercy with your poor lazy soul.« she said through clenched teeth. Our arguments were actually the only time my sister dropped her otherwise regal and graceful attitude. I had to admit that seeing her this worked up filled me with a bit of mischievous joy.

»The prayer was all for today, right? No more public appearances?« I asked, out of fear I might have again forgotten something important like the dinner with the royal family of Belrador last week. That had gotten me into real deep trouble and I did not want to risk getting into a similar situation anytime soon.

»Sadly yes. The prayer was all. Which is ridiculous! We celebrate the gods on the solstices and _we_ are closer to the gods than all the rest of the people out there! One would think we would play a little more important role in the festivities than just presenting the four elements at the temple and opening the prayer.« Preciosa ranted.

»You’re way too stuck up, even for a princess. We are not different than any other people when it comes to the connection to the gods.«

»Tsk, that just shows how little attention you pay to Mr Tantawi. The gods lead Cynfor and his herd to Monabur and gifted him with powers that made him be able to rule over not just horses but all other races too. Even predators. This is why we, as his ancestors, are supreme to the normal folk and why we have a deeper connection to the gods.«

The only reason I knew what _supreme_ meant was because Prech used this exact word on a daily basis to describe either herself or our family as a whole. She really liked to point out how much better we apparently were in comparison to _normal_ people.

»And you actually believe that?« I asked with a flat face, my voice full of doubt. For me this story just sounded like something my ancestors had thought of to justify their rule and not be brought down by the gryphons or the pegasi. After all, I did not feel any kind of deeper connection with the gods at all, even though I apparently should have these insane powers inside of me. This did not mean that I did not believe in them though.

»Of course I do! Unlike you, I _do_ feel a connection and actually care about Cynfor’s legacy.«

_What the hell is a ›legacy‹?_

»Or you just try to look more important. Again.« I mumbled, but was quiet enough so that Prech did not hear it. It was no secret that my sister felt neglected by every single being in Mereldia. As a princess she was, in the eyes of…well, about everyone actually, less worth than me, even though she was the older twin and even though she paid much more attention in class. But I was the heir and she was _just_ the princess. She hated me for it and did not leave out any chance to tell me how unfitting I was for my role and how perfect she apparently was for it. But while a king could rule alone, a queen couldn’t, and this fact made Preciosa horribly bitter. I could not help but feel sorry for her, since it was obviously not her fault that she was a girl. I would be happy if our roles would be reverse, but since they weren’t, we both had to live with our pre-planned futures. And then people said that we were _lucky_ to be born royalty.

And then there was yet another thing…

»Prech, do you want me to teach you what I learned in the Magic Lesson yesterday?« I asked carefully, since I knew that it was a sensitive topic. While it was no secret that Preciosa was anything but happy with her role as a princess, it was very much a secret that she had an almost unhealthy interest for a certain other topic: Magic. For the royal families, it was tradition that princes and kings were capable of magic, while princesses just had to look pretty and at the most should know a levitation spell to be able to eat properly. If our parents or anyone else would find out about Preciosa’s secret desire to learn more than just those simple things, they would freak out. More than that. They would call her a disgrace. And this was the last thing my sister wanted to be called. And to be honest, it was also the last thing she deserved to be called. If someone was a disgrace of the family, then it was me, but of course no one really paid much mind to _that_. The main focus, when it came to perfection, was my sister.

»There is no use. You cannot do those spells yourself yet. If I would learn from you, I would just learn it the wrong way.« she said, but I could hear that the answer was forced. In reality she was _very_ interested in hearing all about one of my magic lessons. One of the only classes we did not share.

»In contrary to not learning them at all, you mean?« I asked with a teasing grin. She snorted in irritation.

_I got her._

»Maybe just the theory.« she eventually said after a short moment of silence.

But before we could even _try_ to walk to her rooms, a loud noise startled us both.

»What in Mereldia was _that_!?« I asked, though my question was answered almost immediately by Preciosa’s panicked scream and her dragging me out of the way at the last moment. A part of the ceiling crashed into the marble floor where I had stood just a few seconds before. I had no time to give the piece of rubble a wide-eyed stare like my sister did. Instead I ran and with that also seemed to snap Prech out of her state of shock. From the hole in the ceiling I could see that the floor above us was on fire and that the flames slowly climbed down to this floor also.

»My dresses!« Preciosa suddenly yelled as we were about to pass by her main room. She stormed into it and started to pull out several pieces of clothing from her huge wardrobe, when I grabbed her at the tail and tried to pull her back.

»Let me go! I don’t want them to get burned.«

» _You_ will geth burned if you don’t run now.« I mumbled, my words clearly muffled with her tail in my mouth. This however did not stop her from trying to rescue as many of her dresses as possible. I let go of her tail and instead walked in front of her, yanking the dresses out of her mouth and throwing those off her back that she had placed there.

»Are you _crazy_!? The fire will be here any second! Dresses can be replaced in contrary to our lives!«

»But-« I pulled her away, this time successfully, before she could fall into another complaint.

When we stumbled into the hallway again, half of it was already on fire, blocking the path we had come from, leaving only one way to run. Preciosa took a moment to stare at the flames in shock. She probably had not thought that they could move this fast. Quickly forgotten were her dresses and she started running for her life instead.

We knew the castle well, so we also immediately knew what our goal was: the servant stairs down to the hallways below. With some luck, the fire had not spread to the stairs yet and we could therefore reach ground level before it was too late. It was hard to maneuver through the castle with as much speed as we had. I was glad that Prech could keep up with me, since her stamina was significantly lower than mine. But it was probably the fear that also pushed me on. We heard the fire roar above our heads and had to predict when a certain part of the ceiling would fall, to dodge it in time. When yet another of those boulders fell, I saw how the fire licked across the marble floor, seemingly burning on the cold stone like on wood. This was when I realized what we really were up against.

»This is no accident! This is magic fire! Someone has laid it! It will burn everything and won’t stop until it has reached its goal!« I yelled, remembering what I had learned about fire magic so far. A magic that ran in the family.

»What is its goal then!?« Prech asked, while her eyes were locked on the staircase at the end of the hallway. I threw a quick glance back and gulped at what I saw.

»I think it is after _us_.« I said and ran even quicker. Prech whimpered in fear beside me and I would have done the same, but I had to focus on getting out now. Panicking was not an option.

When we finally reached the staircase, we tried our best not to trip in our haste. I felt my legs shiver with fear when I was forced to slow down my pace when climbing down the stairs. Prech was openly crying at this point. Something I could not remember to have seen her doing in forever.

The hallway below was luckily not on fire yet, but we knew that it was only a matter of time until the fire would also climb down here. It was when we were about to climb another staircase, that was located further back down the hall when we again heard a huge cracking noise, which we knew by now meant another collapse. Just that this time it was not a specific part, but the whole ceiling. We practically jumped down the staircase only seconds before the rubble came down behind us. Both of us fell down the stairs but despite our injuries quickly got up.

»Only one floor down. Let’s take the main hall’s stairs.« I suggested as we galloped through the empty hallways to where we knew the main hall was. From there on would not be much left to the castle’s courtyard and _there_ we hopefully would be safe.

Salvation was just one corner and one flight of stairs away when the ceiling began to crack furiously again. I knew we both would not make it, so I did the first thing logical to me: I pushed Prech ahead and immediately jumped back myself. The rubble fell down to the floor only inches away from where I stood and some sharp pieces of it even left bloody stripes on my legs. I winced at the pain.

»Prech! Are you okay!?« I yelled, ignoring the fire that encircled me now. The rubble fell in a way that, even if I would have been fire-resistant, I could not get through. There was enough space left to let me see Prech standing up though. She looked at me with a face of absolute horror.

»Draco, try to climb out!« she yelled over the noise of the fire. I shook my head.

»No, you go on! I will find another way out!« I said with determination, even though I knew that my chances were slim. The servant stairs were probably on fire already and even if they were not, they were too far away to reach them before the ceiling would come down. I bit my lip and galloped up the hallway, desperately thinking for an exit. Before I however could decide on a new escape plan, the fire cornered me against the fallen rubble. The ceiling above me cracked dangerously and I backed up against the yet fireless wall in the hopes that I would stay unharmed for a little longer there. Suddenly I heard something in the loud roar of the fire that could have been my sister screaming, but before I could further think about it, the world went black and my whole body started to burn. Unable to scream, I let pain be the last thing I felt before my mind faded away to nothingness.

 

 

The flames licked on my body, hungrily trying to consume me. I noticed that the pain was gone. Everything around me was still on fire, but it seemed more vivid, more clear more alive than before. I slowly stood up, hearing metal clatter on the ground, but paying it no mind. It was impossible to tell how long I had been out. More parts of the ceiling had collapsed so that the once beautiful hallway was only a pile of rubble and fire now. The part of the fallen ceiling that had barred my way to the outside had even grown, so that I could not see into the fall beyond it anymore.

Again, I took a moment to look down and see that the flames did not harm me. The contrary even! They danced around me, seemingly eager for me to put will into them and let them do what I pleased. But not only the flames did so. Also, the air, that had been sparing so far, seemed to collect around me, to enable me to breathe and the rubble in front of me seemed more than just willing to disobey the rules of gravity to let me through. Whatever this feeling was, it was exhilarating.

With no better options left I did what the elements seemed to beg me to do: use them. The pile of rubble in front of me seemingly exploded, granting me a passage, which I did not hesitate to take. I jumped over fallen pillars and ran through flames with a feeling of jubilation. I could see the exit, I could see my sister, safe from the flames even though she was injured, I could see my family, I could see guards…I could see mages coming at me with murderous intent. I froze. Why did they look at me like that? Why did my father look like he approved of their actions? Why did Prech share the same look as those mages? Why…

 _No time to ask that now!_ I scolded myself and decided to tap into the elements again, giving them my wish and letting them answer it. My wish was simple: Get away _fast_.

Rubble and flames rushed past my vision and I left the palace behind. I was only able to get a short glimpse at my family before I already stumbled into the crowd. I was _way_ too fast. Faster than I had planned to be. People screamed in fear when I rushed past them, some trying to stop me, without success. While fleeing, I got a hold of a cloak from someone and donned it so that it would be harder for anyone to spot me. I barely paid the fact any heed that I had grabbed the cloak with magic, which was something I before could have only done with big struggle. I generally did not pay a lot of things any heed right now, the goal to get away was still strong.

When I had finally reached a part of the Middle District that seemed to be quiet, I allowed myself a moment to catch my breath, only to notice that I was not out of breath at all. That was strange, considering I had just run several kilometers in mere minutes in a pace that would have made my Pegasus friend Esmeray proud.

Instead of catching my breath I took the time to look down at my legs. I had so far been too occupied with everything else to notice, but now I saw why everyone had reacted how they did. My front legs were pitch-black and orange markings, formed like flames, climbed up from my hooves to the knees.

Unable to grasp a thought that would mirror my level of shock, I just stared at my legs as if they were not my own. I did not understand. Why did my legs look like that?

Driven by a wave of panic, I bolted out of the alley and after a bit of searching found the river. I took the stairs down to the river’s shore and then was startled by my reflection. I jumped back from the water and instead watched the stars reflect themselves in this still part of the water. Carefully I looked to both sides and up to the street, but this part of town seemed to be deserted for now. Slowly I approached the water again and forced myself to not look away from what I saw, even though I was terrified by the reflection. Not only my legs, but seemingly my entire fur was not of a golden chestnut color anymore but of a black, as dark as the shadows at night. The only exception to that were the markings on my front legs and, upon further inspection, also those on my hind legs. What terrified me the most, though, were my eyes. What had once been amber was now a fiery orange that glowed softly. Glowing eyes were something associated with dangerous and almost always _evil_ creatures. Demons had such eyes. Out of curiosity I opened my mouth and my fears were confirmed: fangs.

Now I staggered back after all and fell to the ground, shivering. A black coat, unnatural colored markings, glowing eyes, fangs and the ability to use insane amounts of magic. If one thing was clear, then this: I definitely was not a normal person anymore. I did not even know if I was still mortal. The question that nagged on me though was _how_. I had never heard about anyone mortal changing into a demon before. Actually, the rule was quite simple: either you were born a demon or you were not.

What Prech had said earlier spooked through my mind again.

_The gods lead Cynfor and his herd to Monabur and gifted him with powers that made him be able to rule over not just horses but all other races too._

Were _these_ the powers the legend was talking about? No, they could not be. I had seen pictures of Cynfor, the first king of Koruna, before and he had been a grey stallion with a white mane. Nothing about him had seemed unnatural, except the fact that he was always depicted like some sort of divine being.

I, on the other hand, looked like what was largely considered as _offscourings_. No one trusted anyone with a demon heritage or with a questionable appearance. People said that evil would lurk behind their eyes if one was not looking, even though Celestia had told me that this was nonsense. She had always been very open minded about the topic and loved to talk about individuals she had met who were anything but evil, even though they had a demon heritage.

 

Celestia!

 

That was it! I would go to Celestia and she would be able to tell me what was wrong with me. I had seen her at the castle briefly…maybe? Had it been her? But she could explain everything to my parents and father could then explain it to everyone else. It was so simple. I was not bad. I was not born bad and I had definitely not been born like _this_. A little part of me even cheered in joy at the prospect of finally looking different from my sister. It had always been a nagging annoyance to look exactly like her.

»Hey kid, is everything alright? Where are your parents?« a voice suddenly called from above. I froze. From the angle the stranger – judging from the voice and the accent it was a feline woman. Maybe a leopardess. – was looking, she could not see my face or the markings on my legs, that were also hidden by the black cloak, which was still much too large for me. That I had not tripped over it was a little of a wonder itself.

»I, uh, am just waiting for my sister.« I lied, also doing my best to let my voice sound different. Unfortunately, I had never been good at lying, so I really hoped that the stranger would not catch that.

»It is dangerous out here. There is a murderer on the loose. Better go home. I am sure your sister will go home also.«

»A murderer!?« I asked, my voice now shivering with fear. It took all my willpower to not turn my head to the stranger, because I knew that she would have screamed and ran away when she would have seen my eyes. It probably looked weird that I did not move with a hood drawn over my face.

»Yes, they killed the prince.« the leopardess said and sniffed sadly.

»They killed…the _prince_?« I asked, my voice now dripping with confusion. I was not dead.

»It is horrible. Better go home this instant or the murderer might get you too.«

»How does the murderer look like?« I asked. If there was someone out to kill me, then I really should be more careful.

»A black horse with fiery markings on their legs and glowing eyes..« the feline said in fear and I heard that she made attempts to climb down the stairs to get me out of this place through force if needed. I turned a little so that I stayed with my back to her.

 _So, I have apparently killed myself. Interesting._ I thought and even though I was still panicking, managed to give a sarcastic frown. This whole situation should be cleared up _fast_ or I might end up getting into even more trouble than I already was in.

»That must be a misunderstanding!« I therefore said. »The prince was not killed.«

The leopardess was right behind me now.

»I will bring you home. Your parents are probably worried about you.« she said with a lot of sympathy.

 _To say they are_ worried _is probably the understatement of the century._ I thought.

The leopardess sounded sincerely concerned about my wellbeing, which made me feel bad about what I was to do, since it would probably give her a heart attack.

»I can’t go home now. I just need a place to hide from the guards.« I said while looking over my shoulder at her. To say that she looked shocked was again probably the understatement of the century. She looked like she would see the devil himself.

»Uh, sorry?« I asked with a regretful grin while standing up and backing away. It was weird to see someone look at me with fear. I was not used to it and I did not want to get used to it.

»M-m-murderer.« the leopardess stammered in fear. Then anger exploded on her face. »How dare you disguise as a child! I will make you pay even if it costs my life!« she roared and jumped at me with claws out. I jumped back, but she still scratched me on the shoulder when she swatted her paw. A few blooding streaks appeared and…disappeared. They had healed so fast that I had barely seen it. But this was no time to stare at my healed shoulder in awe, because the leopardess did not stop her attacks there.

»This is a misunderstanding! I did not kill anyone and I am not in disguise!« I yelled when I tried to dodge her claws while also trying to get past her so I could flee once again. But she was fast and very determined to harm me. Whenever she hit me the wounds instantly healed. This did not mean that I did not feel the pain though. It hurt a lot every time.

I was growing more and more desperate. I never had been in a real fight before where someone had tried to kill me. I was good at running away, not at fighting. And I absolutely hated to be pushed into a corner like I was now.

»L _e_ t _m_ e t _h_ r _o_ u _g_ h!« I said desperately, but jumped back in fear at the same time. This voice…had not been mine and I was scared of it. It was the voice of pure danger and deadliness. A voice I never wanted to hear again. The leopardess seemed to think the same and bolted back up the stairs and away through the streets while yelling for guards or anyone, really, to help her. I ran too, but once I was on the street level I galloped into the opposite direction, away from the leopardess, further away from the castle, closer to the city walls.

Nothing made sense anymore. People should not be afraid of me. I should not look like this. I should not be deadly afraid of my own voice. For some reason the latter weighted the heaviest on my mind. What had that been? It definitely had not been on purpose!

I ran. I ran until I left the middle district behind and entered the slumps. I knew that it was dangerous here, but I did not care. I was considered a monster for all I knew. And there was no better place to hide for a monster than among other monsters. So far my reasoning.

 

I curled up in an alley, the stolen cloak wrapped tightly around me. It was not cold, but I assumed it was better if I would not be recognized. When I closed my eyes, I still could feel the elements pulling at my senses. Light, from the stars above. Earth, from the ground below. Air, from everything around me. Fire, from the distant, still burning castle and all the little fires in the houses of the city. I told myself not to think too hard about it, that there would be a reasonable explanation. For now, I just accepted it and wished to be able to rest safely.

 

That my wish came true was something that surprised me. I awoke when the sun had already risen a few hours ago. With a yawn, I stretched my stiff legs and stood up. When I looked down I was surprised to see not black legs with orange markings, but chestnut gold legs with the left one having a white sock that ended halfway to the knee. It was the look I had grown used to and a look I had feared to never see again on myself. I breathed a sigh of relief but the relief only lasted for a moment. This look was bound to attract even more attention, if possible, than the black one. I was supposed to be dead after all. With this, I was caught here. I had never been able to cast an illusion spell myself, so casting one now was out of the que-

_Wait a minute. I could not manipulate or feel the elements like I do now before either. So maybe it will work this time._

Struck by inspiration I tried my best to remember the exact words of the spell, but couldn’t. At this point I was pulling on straws, so I closed my eyes tried to visualize the feeling I have had the previous night when I had used magic.

 _Simply wish for it._ An inner voice told me, and so I did. When I opened my eyes again I saw my legs yet again being covered with black fur, but this time without the orange markings. I grinned widely. I really had done it. I had cast an illusion spell.

 

The day after Summer Solstice was usually a day where the celebration was upheld and wares, that did not get sold on the day before, were offered for lower prices. But the usual swing of things was gone. Only few of those who were on the streets actually cared for the rest of the festival. Most walked in the direction to the castle, probably to see what was left of it. Being struck by curiosity I followed the masses. Without using magic to run several kilometers in a few minutes, it took all day to get back to the center district. But just like the night before, I did not feel tired at all when I reached my destination. Just as if I had endless much energy at my disposal.

To then see the still smoking ruins of what had once been the west wing of the palace was… devastating. Just a day ago everything had been still normal after all. This had been my home, I had been normal, the palace had not been burned. And to this came one more thing, which most people here were concerned about: The prince had still been alive.

Or at least _thought_ to be alive, since I was still not exactly dead now.

Among the crowd I searched for faces I might know, but luckily I saw none. To think what would happen if I would see Rylon right now…

Rylon.

He would surely believe me. Among everyone, he was probably the one most devastated about the news that I was _dead_. To tell him otherwise would make him the happiest guy in the world and he surely would also help me to get to Celestia. Getting past the guards was something I had broken my mind about the whole day already. Getting into the castle had never really been a problem for me so far, since I was always let through without hesitation, but this time would be different. This time I would have to sneak in and get to the library. Preferably through the outside entrance. If Rylon would help me, I was sure that I would be able to do it. We were partners in crime after all. I looked behind myself to the way I had come. It would take me about an hour at least to get to Rylon’s house. I shook my head. Pondering was a waste of time now! I needed to act! With a determined pace, I trotted southwards again.

 

 _Knock, knock, knock_.

The sound of hooves could be heard from behind the door and then it was opened.

»Uh, are you a friend of Rylon?« Jano Morcos, Rylon’s father, asked. To play it safe I had changed the illusion spell again so that I now had a grey coat and a white mane. Just like Cynfor. I would let my ancestor be my guide in this daring mission, since I needed to be at least as brave and determined as him.

»Yeah, something like that. Is he home?« I asked, my voice sounding perfectly not like myself. Mr Morcos would have noticed that immediately since he knew me quite well by now. Now he shuffled uncomfortably.

»I’m sorry, but he does not feel like playing right now and it is late already. Better not come by for a few days, it’s-«

»No, you misunderstand! I am here because of what happened yesterday! I _need_ to talk to him!« I insisted with pleading eyes. Mr Morcos’ eyes hardened.

»I know that it might be exciting for you kids that his best friend was the prince, but he really does not know much more than anyone else. Leave him alone.« And with that the door fell shut in front of me. I huffed in irritation and swiftly trotted around the house. I knew exactly which of the windows was the one to Rylon’s room, so I threw a small rock at it.

Nothing.

I threw a few more rocks, each time being careful to not throw them too hard. I did not want to break the window after all.

Then a shadow rose in the room and the window opened.

»What do you want?« Rylon asked, his voice sounding distant and empty. A shiver ran down my spine. I had never seen him like _this_ before.

»Talk and explain things.« I simply said, not even trying to camouflage my voice. Rylon just blankly stared at me.

»Who are you?« he asked, seemingly a bit confused by my answer.

»Your best friend.« I decided to just go straight for the truth, since I was awful at lying. Rylon squinted his eyes in an angry manner.

»My best friend is dead.«

»Apparently.« I said and rolled my eyes. This, however, seemed to have been a huge mistake. In hindsight it actually was really stupid, since it might have sounded like I did not care about his best friend’s death at all. Rylon jumped through his window and kicked me hard, so that I landed on the ground. He hit with another few kicks until I kicked him back and used the moment to jump through his window into his room, he climbed after me as best as he could.

»Get out of my room.« he said, his voice quiet but angry. A few tears fell from his eyes.

»Rylon, please.« I said quietly and as empathetically as possible. Rylon however only jumped when the window suddenly closed on its own behind him and the wooden blinds shut themselves. In that moment, I just decided to set everything on one card. Rylon was my best friend after all. He would understand. I dropped the illusion spell and when he turned around again he froze, his eyes wide with shock.

»I’m not dead, okay?« I said, suddenly sounding quite unsure.

»How…Why…But the princess said…«

»Whatever Prech said is not true. I’m not dead. She probably imagined things.«

»But-«

»Rylon, please listen-« but I did not get to end my sentence because Rylon kicked me again to that I crashed into the wall.

»You idiot! I thought you were dead!« he yelled, tears in his eyes and his expression angry, but yet endlessly relieved. For the first time that day I gave an honest grin.

»I guess I deserved that one.« I said and shook myself.

»How are you alive?« Rylon asked.

»I just never died and got out of the fire. But…something _did_ happen. I don’t know what it is or what it means and it is preventing me to go back. I need to get to the library and tell Celestia. She will know what to do! Probably. You will help me, right?«

»Maybe. What happened?« Rylon asked skeptically. I saw that my presence still confused him.

»Hard to explain. Will you still help me?« I said, avoiding the topic. If I would mention that I was thought to be a murderer, he would probably think the same as the leopardess the night before and assume that I was in disguise. This was the last thing I wanted Rylon to think. He was a bit of a scaredy-cat after all.

»I will.« he said with an unsure grin. I knew that grin. It meant: ›I don’t like where this is going and we will get into _so_ much trouble, but I will help you anyway‹. This was why he was my best friend. I lifted one of my forelegs for our signature hoofshake, but something that startled both me and Rylon then suddenly happened.

Without being able to do anything about it, my leg changed from a golden chestnut color to a pitch black. Orange markings like flames appeared on my forelegs again and a look into Rylon’s eyes was enough to confirm that also my eyes had changed to the fiery color with the soft glow again.

»Oh no.« I said and started shaking. This was the absolute worst thing to happen. Why had I changed!? Rylon meanwhile looked at me as if I was the death reaper.

»I…I can explain this!« I said, but at the same time knew that I actually couldn’t. I had no idea why this happened, I just knew that from one moment to the next the mood in the room had drastically changed. One moment Rylon had been my best friend, willing to help me with my insane plan and the next moment he was just plainly in fear and then in cold anger.

»Y-you…the m-murderer.« Rylon stammered and pointed a shaky hoof at me.

»Rylon, no! You got it all wrong! I am not dead. It is a huge misunderstanding!« I tried to explain. He had to believe me. He was my best friend. If he would not believe me, then no one would.

»Why are you looking like _him_!? He is _dead_! _Is that not enough!?_ « Rylon yelled. If he would not be in a state of horror-stricken fear, he would have attacked me again and beaten the living daylights out of me. But now he could just yell. Yell and hurt me with words that were actually not true.

»R _y_ l _o_ n, _s_ n _a_ p _o_ u _t_ o _f_ i _t_!« I said desperately and jumped back. It has been _that_ voice again. The voice that had not only Rylon but also me cower in fear. It was actually silly since the voice was _mine_ , so I shouldn’t be afraid. I still was though. Just what _was_ that voice and how did I use it?«

»S-s-s-st-t-t-ay-y a-w-w-ay.« Rylon stammered quietly and shivered so much that I was afraid he would bite his tongue off while speaking. He had backed away in the corner furthest away from me and just looked at me as if he would await death.

_Why does this happen? How do I deserve this?_

The door to Rylon’s room suddenly swung open. Drawn here by the shouting, Mr Morcos stood in the door. Since I was next to the door he only noticed Rylon shivering in the corner at first glance. He threw his son a worried look, probably thinking that he was still in a phase of mourning. Then he noticed that his son did not look at him, but at something next to him. Mr Morcos’ view shifted to me and he also froze. I gulped. His view drifted from my glowing eyes to the markings on my legs and then he glared at me.

»Dara, go and get the guards! This beast is here!« he shouted, fear apparent in his voice.

_Beast._

Was that really what I was now? A beast? A monster? Without further hesitation, I threw open the blinds and the window again and jumped outside. As soon as my hooves touched the cobblestone I ran as fast as possible. Rylon would not help me, but that did not mean that Celestia wouldn’t. But if she would not help, then I really had no one left.

 

The palace was heavily guarded, just as I had expected. But my new method of wishing the elements to do what I want was working very well. Seemingly invisible I rushed past the guards and up to the library. After the catastrophe at Rylon’s house, I had taken an hour or so to plot out an overcomplicated plan only to then suddenly come up with something so obviously simple that I had banged my head against a wall. To use my newfound magic really made things more easy, but at the same time more difficult. I could not precisely control it and that was a problem.

I set a prime example of that exact thing when I tried to open the doors of the library, that had been locked. As a result, they flew open as if a tornado had pushed against them and clanked loudly at their respective walls. I just stood in the doorway with wide eyes, frozen in shock since I had not expected that to happen. Then I quickly dove for the bookshelves. I could not be sure that Celestia really would welcome me, since so far no one had. Out of ideas what to do I did not even try to explain things. If she would come at me, I would just beg her to listen. Whatever everyone thought I had done, it was not true. It was also only thanks to my newfound magic that I has survived as long as I did. And magic was nothing to be taken for granted. It might already be gone tomorrow and then I would be done for. I needed someone to help me. I could not do this alone.

My silent prayers that Celestia might approach me differently than anyone else remained unanswered. With a tea kettle in her magic grip and a murderous expression she inched closer to me. But behind that anger I saw fear. I still did not understand it. Why was everyone so afraid of me? Did I really look _that_ awful? Yes. Yes, I did. Apparently.

I backed away and landed in a dead end. My hind legs sank to the ground and I pressed myself to the bookshelf behind me, making myself as small as possible.

»I didn’t do it. Please, Celestia, I swear didn’t do it.« I said in a desperate voice.

I don’t know if it was something I said or the fact that I said anything at all, but Celestia suddenly dropped the tea kettle. I watched it roll on the floor and finally rest against my leg.

A pain unlike anything I have ever known shot through my leg in an instant together with a hissing sound and the smell of burned flesh.

»Ow!« I jumped up and tried to bring as much distance between me and the tea kettle. Now I really had a reason to cry and I did so, not caring about anything at all. It hurt. It hurt so much.

 _Someone make it stop._ I thought and whimpered in pain and fear. Celestia’s voice eventually drew me out of my shocked state.

»Draco?«


	4. Origins

** Chapter 3 **

* * *

**Origins**

_23 rd Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Celestia_ **

The colt raised his head so abruptly that his hood fell down. His eyes were not amber anymore, but had a fiery orange to them with a faint glow. But they were not the eyes of a ferocious beast, but those of a scared crying child. It was Draco, there was no doubt, also when he did not look at all like himself anymore.

»T-they are afraid of me. Why?« he sobbed, then he looked down at his leg. »And why does this hurt so much?«

I closed the distance to him and wrapped my neck around his in a comforting hug. He sniffled into my coat and just quietly continued to cry. It was strange to see him cry since he usually never did. But if he ever had a reason to cry, it was now.

This however threw new questions into the room:

_If Draco was alive, then why does Preciosa claim to have seen him being murdered?_

_If he died, then who killed him and how could the curse resurrect him when he was surrounded by fire?_

_How did he become a Caspana? If the curse is hereditary, does this mean that the whole royal family has it too?_

More questions like these formed in my head until I myself lost track. Too many questions and too few answers. It looked like my research was very necessary right now. Draco however did not seem to calm down, so I just sat there in the corner with him, comforting him.

»Don’t worry, everything will be fine.« I lamely said, even though I knew better. The whole city was on the hunt for a _demon_ who killed the prince of Koruna. Draco could not just show up as he was or he would be killed. Even if he _would_ look like his usual self again, it would be very hard to find an explanation for the phenomenon of the dead prince walking through the streets of Monabur. He would be declared an imposter and then would probably be tormented even more. Even if through some miracle his family would accept him back the way he was now and would see that it was really him, would the rest of Koruna do the same? Most would think that the royal family had been fooled with an imposter, a shapeshifter or something similar. They would use every opportunity they would get to do harm to the poor prince or even kill him.

No matter how one twisted and turned it, the problem stayed the same. Draco was gone in the eyes of Koruna and he would not come back. This curse has quite literally taken his life. But he could not stay on his own. He was way too young. He needed someone to take care of him.

I shook my head. This latter problem could wait until later. Up and foremost I had to find a reasonable explanation for all this. Something I could not only present to the king, but also to Draco, so that he would have some closure on what has happened to him.

When the colt had calmed down - considerably at least, he was still very distressed – I convinced him to get up and follow me to my little room at the back of the library behind my desk. He immediately let himself fall onto one of the big pillows, though he did not seem to be tired. I lied down on my makeshift bed, that was solely consisting of a huge collection of pillows and blankets.

»Draco, I know that you probably do not want to talk about it, but…what happened?« I asked carefully. As expected, Draco looked away.

»I can help you. But I at first need to know what happened to you.« I reasoned in a soothing tone. Draco looked at me again.

»It’s not that I don’t _want_ to tell you. I can’t really remember much, that’s all. I know that there was the fire and I dragged Prech out of her room since she tried to save her dresses. Then, when we were almost out, the ceiling fell down. I could not go on, so I told Prech to go on without me. And then…I don’t know. Things went black then. The next thing I know was that I could use magic and that those mages were chasing me, so I ran out of the palace, dove into the crowd, snatched a black cloak from someone and ran off with it. I hid the whole night and day and…this is scary. I can do magic, Celestia. Real magic. I could get past the guards and they did not even notice me, like I was invisible. I dunno how I did it. And then my voice gets all dangerous and very scary and I don’t know how or why and it’s really scaring me. And everyone is afraid of me. I did not do anything wrong…«

»Draco, none of this is your fault.« I tried to soothe him and nudged him gently.

»But everyone thinks it is!« he argued, but did not look at me.

»That is because they are afraid of what they do not know. You know yourself that most do not understand magic and how it works, right? Well, in your case, even _I_ do not understand it.«

»But you know how magic works.«

»Exactly! The people who do not even understand normal magic will most especially not understand this magic and therefore they declare you the culprit.«

»That’s not fair!« Draco sobbed. »I saved Prech! I got out of the palace! I did everything right!«

»I know sweetie, I know.« I said quietly and embraced him again for comfort. »But very often, the world is not fair.« I added in a mournful tone. Draco may be a little troublemaker who was almost completely oblivious to his duties as a future king, but that still did not mean that he deserved the hatred of his nation. He did not deserve any of this horrible fate.

»Even Rylon hates me now.« Draco eventually sobbed, to which I looked at him fairly surprised.

»You went to see Rylon!?« I asked. Draco made a grimace of shame and regret.

»At first he believed me, but then I…changed and he immediately was afraid as if I would be a monster.«

I did not know what to say to that. To be hated by his best friend was something beyond just cruel. But it made sense that he at first would go to Rylon to seek help. And how devastating it must have been for him to first be offered help and therefore hope, only to have it taken away from you in an instant. How did one find proper words of comfort for such a cruelty?

»He thinks his best friend was killed and rumors go around from a black coated demon with fiery marking on his legs and glowing eyes. Then to see you change into this feared figure might have been too much for him. He also does not understand magic that well, so he probably thought you were the murderer that disguised himself as his best friend.«

»That’s not true!« Draco sobbed.

»Draco, I know that. But Rylon doesn’t.«

»Then we go there again and tell him! He will listen to you!« I bit my lip and eventually sighed while shaking my head.

»I’m sorry, but I can’t. Rylon might believe me, but his family would not, let alone the rest of Koruna.« And here I had come to the very tricky part.

»B-but you have to! You can convince my parents and they can tell the rest of Koruna!« Draco said. The hopeful gleam in his eyes almost broke my heart.

»Draco, listen. What I am going to tell you is something I actually do not want to tell you, but there is no way around it.« I took a deep breath. »You cannot stay here. Nor can you stay anywhere else in Monabur, nor anywhere else in Koruna. You have to leave the country.« Draco’s expression went through several levels of shock and incredulity until eventually he settled on desperate sadness, starting to bawl his eyes out again.

»N-no. I c-can-n’t!« he sobbed in a tearful voice, to which I hugged him closer.

»Tell him already.« Talitha said. It was the first time she had said anything since I have approached Draco. Her voice was hard as stone, but at the same time I heard regret out of it. Admitting the truth was as hard for her as it was for me. But I would not tell Draco instantly. He was still too heartbroken over the fact that he was forced to leave his home.

»I-I c-can’t g-go alone. I can’t s-surv-vive on my own.« he sobbed while his tears clung to my coat.

»And I will not let you go alone.« I promised and nuzzled his ear to calm him down.

»You will come with me?« he asked, looking up to me with those huge tearful eyes. Saying ›no‹ to those eyes might have been the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life.

»No, but someone I know very well and who I trust could get you out of here. Only if he agrees of course.«

»Please convince him! I cannot go alone!« Draco pleaded.

»Of course.« I said and gave him an encouraging smile. Then I looked at Talitha. »Can you fly out and ask him?« The Raccardi nodded and flew out through one of the windows.

»I don’t want to go.« Draco said when Talitha was gone, to which I could just shake my head in sorrow. It was hard to set him in front of such a hard situation in which he did not even have a decision to make, but could just follow the decisions others made for him.

»I know, believe me, I know.« I said with a sigh. »Say, Draco, are you alright on your own for a bit? I still need to finish the research I will present to your father.«

»What research?« Draco immediately asked, curious as ever.

»About…you. Or rather said, about what you are now. It’s a very tricky case because I do not have much to go on.« In contrary to what I expected, Draco did not freak out or anything, but instead became thoughtful. Then he raised his head again to look at me.

»Where are the books with the story of how Monabur was founded? Or better said, something about Cynfor.« He asked, which confused me a little.

»The second row in the history section, but why-«

»Yesterday, before the palace started burning, Prech and I argued about Cynfor’s legend and she said something about special powers. I already got this idea earlier, but forgot it because Cynfor did not look like this.« he pointed at his black coat. »But then I changed into my normal look at day and could cast illusion spells at night, if I wanted to. So maybe there is something to it after all. I want to make sure.«

I grinned. That kid always managed to surprise me in one way or another.

»Good thinking Draco. Try to read out anything that sounds familiar whenever Cynfor’s looks or his powers are mentioned.« I said and Draco nodded with determination. And if I knew one thing about him then it was this: When he had this look in his eyes, then he would not stop until he got what he wanted.

 

»I found something!« Draco yelled after almost two hours and I almost dropped my quill due to being startled by the sudden noise. Raising my head I looked over to the corner he had made himself comfortable in, several books of Koruna’s and especially Monabur’s history spread around him.

»What does it say?« I asked while putting the quill back into the holder.

»It says that Cynfor could command any that did not agree with him and that even predators would fear him.« Draco said. I understood immediately.

»The scary voice you mentioned earlier.« I concluded. Draco nodded.

»Is that enough proof?« he asked to which I could only sigh and shake my head.

»Sadly not. You will need a few more points that this to back you up on it. But I do recommend you to note the passage down, so that you can easily access it again later on.« I said and floated quill, ink and parchment over to the colt. He immediately took it in his own magic and scribbled down what he had found. His sadness had long ago been replaced with determination. Even though his research would not bring us much at this point of time, it might still help him to find some closure or at least a logical link to how _he_ could be cursed. Which reminded me that I have not told him about my part of the research yet. Though he knew most of it himself already since it was clearly obvious information. Except the _ferocious beast_ part. That did not apply in the slightest.

»You know that we will not be able to convince anyone, even if you do find out that your ancestor might be a Caspana, right?« I eventually spoke out the obvious. Draco paused from his writing and raised his head.

»A what?« he asked.

»Right, I have not told you yet. What happened to you is called the _Caspana_ curse. It is hereditary, so you have been born with it, but it awoke now because you…died.«

»Why did you not tell me that already!?« Draco asked and jumped up. »This changes everything!« he said and began to look through the books exclusive to the royal family and therefore this library.

»Pardon, but I cannot quite follow.«

»If it is hereditary and it awakes when one dies, then it cannot be from Cynfor. There was a war in the year 324 with Santugan between King Alcander and King Valen in which King Valen died. He and King Alcander were brothers, both descendants from Cynfor. So Valen could not have died, he would have awoken again, right?«

I blinked, being very impressed at his skill of combination.

»How do you know that much about history when you can barely count to one thousand?« I asked.

»Mr Tantawi taught Prech and me that last week. I just remembered.«

»Alright, so it can also not have been in your family before 672, because in that year, Koruna lost the war against Eriwon through the death of King Faris, which resulted in us losing a third of our country.«

»Wait, aren’t we having an alliance with Eriwon?« Draco asked, seemingly impressed by himself that he possessed that knowledge.

»Yes, but not before 721. But don’t ask me, I’m not a historian. In any case, the curse must have gotten into your family in the last century. Try genealogy. There should be a detailed family tree somewhere in those shelves.«

Draco was already at it while I spoke, scanning through the book titles until eventually pulling a huge thick book out that seemed promising. I had almost forgotten about my own research, being so fascinated with what Draco has found. He opened the book to the last part of it, quickly turning pages until he found the part he had been looking for.

»Uh, I have no idea what this means.« Draco said after a few seconds. With a sigh, I got up and walked over to him. He was staring at a rather simple picture of a family tree, but I could see where he found it troublesome.

»What does this here with Queen Farida mean?« He asked, pointing at a line that should have gone to King Kahil, but went in the other direction, ending with no name and picture. Below the line was just one offspring, a mare named Safiya.

»Oh, right, I almost forgot that.« I said and bit my lip. »It was said that Queen Farida had an affair with someone else than King Kahil. Safiya therefore was a bastard child. Since Farida and Kahil already had a son at this point, there was no need for a princess. They married her to prince Yasin of the royal family of Belrador. No one ever found out who Safiya’s father was.«

»That’s a weird story.« Draco admitted, no doubt trying to imagine his mother betraying his father. Frankly, this was something unimaginable since Talea was loyal to no end.

»Every person is different and seemingly Farida was a different kind of queen.«

»Wait, if she is the only one out of place, then…« Draco flipped a few pages, tracing the bloodline and visibly swallowed.

»Jamir, Scheherazade, Talea.« he read out the name of each generation that connected to him. »I-it’s mother. She is related to Safiya and Safiya must be the one that brought the curse into the family!«

»Yes, it seems so.« I said, having a weird feeling in my stomach. To think that this has gone on for generations already and that only the last generation had brought the curse into the royal family of Monabur. Draco had been lucky, considerably.

»Prech mustn’t die. She would be chased out of the country too and then there would be no heir! Celestia, please promise me she won’t die!« Draco suddenly said with a slightly panicking voice. It had only been a question of time until he would have drawn a connection between him being cursed and therefore also his sister being cursed.

»Well, I cannot exactly promise that, but I am very sure that she does not plan on dying anytime soon and that everyone will keep a very close eye on her from now on. She cannot be safer than that.«

»No, I mean, do not let her know that she has this curse. Once she finds out that it will give her more magic, she would even kill herself!«

»Now, now, I do not think she would do anything _this_ drastic.« I said, but Draco was still panicking. It were moments like this one where it showed how much he actually cared for his twin sister, even though it usually seemed like the opposite.

»Don’t be so sure. Now that she is the only heir, she would literally do anything.« Draco muttered bitterly. He was not bitter because he lost his place as an heir, even though most would have thought that, but because he was worried for his sister. And to be honest, I was too. Would Preciosa be able to take the burden all on her own? Hopefully.

I sighed again to break the silence.

»So, now you know how the curse came into the family. I suggest you put these books away again and go to sleep. I will have to finish my research and for what we plan for you, you really need to be rested.«

Draco looked like he was about to complain but then silently accepted, putting back the books to their places and eventually curling up in the back room. I watched him get comfortable on a few pillows and then laid down on my desk again. In this moment, I realized that the report I was writing would determine Draco’s entire future. It was very cruel what only a few words could do.

 

 

Even with the information the white mare had given me, it was very hard to find anything useful at all. Caspanas seemed to fit into the faerie realm as much as into the mortal one and the curse’s specifics contradicted basic magical theory. Still it was most interesting to dig a little deeper into the technical literature of the fae. That I even knew about them at all was exceptionally, since here in Koruna, those creatures were so rare, that some even thought them to be myths. The only immortal beings they knew and despised were demons and everyone who was related to these beasts. Fae, on the other hand, were a problem for the North Lands to deal with. Too far away from the desert land Koruna that anyone here would really pay much heed to it.

 _»Their biggest joy lies in playing with mortals, usually ranging from tricks and pranks to torture and murder. Kindness lies not in their nature. So, it is my advice, dear reader, to keep yourself away from anyone that reacts poisonous to the iron’s touch. They are, without an exception, wicked.«_ I shut _Faerie Beasts_ with more force than necessary and threw it on the ground. Taken, my reaction might look a little extreme to an outsider looking in, but the reason behind it was simply that every book I have read so far had said the same: Fae are ferocious creatures who should not be trusted. This, however, did not help a single bit in Draco’s case. He was anything but ferocious after all. But this did not mean that I had not found out anything.

I took a glance at my notes and sighed. It still was not much to go with. If I would not back up my research with facts, then it might become questionable. I could not just say that there also were friendly, peace-loving fae, when I had no quote to back me up on it. I was not planning to admit that I had let a Caspana stay in my library the whole night after all.

A Caspana who had gotten very frustrated with a certain topic, that was. After curling up in my back room he had gotten on and on about who it could have been that was Safiya’s father and where they had gone. Eventually he had gotten to a dead end, like every historian with the case, and had fallen asleep.

I looked at the windows, through which the night sky could be seen in all its dark blue, star spotted glory. On the horizon, however a lighter blue line was already visible. I frowned. My finished research was expected at sunrise, but I simply could not present it without that particular quote that proved my theory that not all fae were ill-witted. That I was known for being fascinated with questionable individuals like demons, did not really help my case to sound convincing in this situation. After all, if I would just present it as an own theory, without any backup information and especially with the recent catastrophe as a background, I would not come across as very believable and could at worst even lose my job.

Without anything else to go on I sighed. A sad sigh that echoed faintly through the large silent halls. I then stood up from my desk, passed by the sleeping Talitha, who had eventually returned, and eventually entered my second room. I filled the tea kettle – the very same one that had hurt Draco earlier – with herbs and water and placed it over a small candle, which I lit.

The noise seemed to have woken Draco though, because he yawned and blinked t me through sleepy eyes. It took him a moment to take in his surroundings and remember where he was, before gave me a tired smile.

»Good morning.« he said with yet another yawn.

»Good morning Draco. I’m sorry, I did not plan to wake you up this early.« I said and sighed yet again.

»It’s okay, I’m not tired.« Draco said and really seemed to be wide-awake already. I gave him a little smile and then looked at the clock. We still had about an hour left until we should be there. Enough time to write a note and give Draco all the important instructions he needed. In that sense it was good that he was awake now.

»Alright Draco, then listen closely. You will need what I tell you now and you must never forget it.«


	5. Worries

** Chapter 4 **

* * *

**Worries**

_23 rd Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Draco_ **

It was before even the sun rose that Celestia decided that it was time to set her plan into motion. Under normal circumstances I would have been horribly tired at such an early hour, but the contrary was the case. Again, I was wide-awake. The aspect of maybe not ever needing sleep at all anymore was quickly brushed aside by Celestia though, who talked about adre-something and magic.

Talitha stayed behind in the library, just in case, while Celestia and I hurried outside. She had told me to try what I had already tried earlier that had made me invisible and it worked.

»Miss Herua, is everything alright?« A guard asked when we rushed past, but did not notice me.

»I just have to get something from my house. I sent Talitha there earlier, but it’s too heavy for her to carry. I’ll be back soon.« Celestia replied without hesitation. She was a good liar. Maybe she should have taught me that once in a while. In any case, it was too late for that now.

It took us a few minutes, but we eventually left through the main gates, hurrying down the stairs to the front plaza of the palace. We then walked through various small streets, which I knew from experience were ideal hiding places, until we eventually stopped.

»Odd, Talitha said he would be here.« Celestia said as she regarded the plaza with the fountain in its center.

»Who?« I asked, since I yet have not gotten to know who exactly it was who was going to help me. All I had found out was that it apparently was some sort of friend of Celestia and Talitha.

»A good friend of mine. Talitha said he would be at the plaza with the fountain.«

»You sure she meant _this_ plaza? There is another one five streets down, which is a little smaller and more hidden.« I said, counting down what I knew of the cities’ layout. I had sneaked away from the palace often enough to know my way around. At least in this district of the city. Even though Rylon, Esmeray and I did not like it much, we often ended up getting chased by guards. Either for whatever mischief we had caused or because it was _me_ they were searching for. Anyway, knowing the city’s layout was crucial for escaping them. And so far, it had always worked quite well.

»Bested by a two year old.« Celestia said and gave me half a grin. »Lead the way.«

It was weird to show Celestia where the plaza was, since she was ten times as old as I was. But I guess she did not get out of the library much and much less to explore the city.

While I was not invisible anymore, it still was important to stay hidden from unwanted gazes. It was very early in morning, yes, but this did not mean, that the streets were completely empty. Some people were already up and so I did my best not to draw their attention. To have an illusion spell on my black cloak helped too, to stay unnoticed.

When we finally reached the plaza, we indeed saw another equine figure there. I stayed close to Celestia, since this could very well be someone else than her friend. After all, he wore an eyepatch and usually only criminals did that.

»Took you long enough.« the stranger said and a row of white teeth glistered in the darkness when he grinned.

»We got the wrong plaza first.« Celestia said.

» _You_ got the wrong plaza first.« I corrected her, to which the stranger replied with an amused snort.

»Sounds like you. No sense of orientation.« the dark coated stallion said.

»Thanks for reminding me of yet another reason why I broke up with you, Terence.« Celestia said and rolled her eyes. Her tone was unnaturally snappy. I had never heard her talking in a snappish tone before. She sounded a lot like my sister when she did it. An association I did not really want to think too much about.

»Uh, Celestia? Who is he?« I asked, since I was kind of missing a proper introduction here.

»Oh, right. Draco, this is Terence. He is a…friend of mine and-«

»She was about to say ex-boyfriend but would more likely willingly bite off her tongue.« the stranger, Terence, cut in.

I had no idea what an ex-boyfriend was, but apparently, it must be something very bad when Celestia found it to be _that_ horrible. I was not sure if I could trust this Terence if he was apparently a horrible person.

»Anyways, he has agreed to help getting you somewhere safe while I will try to hold off the report for as long as possible.«

I looked at Celestia and then at Terence, still unsure of the situation.

»Safe for how long?« I asked timidly. As far as I knew, no place was safe for me right now. To my surprise and also frustration, neither Celestia nor Terence replied. Silence stretched longer and longer until Terence eventually broke it.

»Five years or longer.« he said. I stared at him and Celestia as if they were crazy. Five years. I was only two years old! Five years was like…more than double as long as my whole life so far! That was way too long.

»B-but..« I began, without really knowing what I wanted to say.

»I’m sorry Draco, but there really is no time to argue about it now. Go with Terence and stay with him.« Celestia said and hugged me. She sounded very sad. Was this goodbye or even farewell?

»Celestia, I’m not sure-« I started, but she interrupted me.

»Just remember everything I told you, it’s important.« I nodded. I had written down what she had told me after all, so I surely wouldn’t forget. I got the parchment from her saddlebags and held it in the air with my magic. Terence took it from me and put it into his own saddle bags. He gave me a smile as if to say that it was safe with him.

»I will. Thank you for helping me.« I said and tried very hard not to cry. It hurt so much to know that I would not see her again for several years.

»Of course, sweetie. And I’d always do it again.« she said and I felt that she was crying.

»P-please try to help setting things right, I will try that too.« I said with a shivering voice. But it was true. I would try to set things right and if it would be the last thing I’d do.

»I promise you, Draco, I will do my utmost best.« She kissed me on the forehead. »Be a good boy, will you?« I could only give a tearful nod, otherwise I would have started to cry.

»Please take good care of him, Terence. I trust you. And write me, when you are sure that it’s safe to do so.« she said to the stallion with the eyepatch. He nodded.

»Don’t worry so much Celli, everything will be fine. I promise that.« Celestia smiled.

»I take your word for it.« she said with tears in her eyes before she walked over to him to wrap him in a hug.

»Thank you for doing this. And be safe.«

»Always am.« he said with a grin and gave Celestia a little peck on the neck.

»Take care Draco.« she then said and wrapped me in a last, desperate hug before taking a few steps backwards. She gave us a tearful smile and nodded a goodbye before she turned around and walked away.

Terence and I stood where we were and watched her go. It was sad to see her go and I knew that it was even more sad for her, because she would be separated from not one, but two of her best friends.

A silence stretched in the small plaza after Celestia was gone, leaving only the empty street behind. The only noise came from the water of the fountain and from some mice running over the cobblestone to find something edible.

»Where do we go?« It was a question that had been on my mind ever since Celestia had told me that I would have to leave Koruna.

»To my place. I know it’s still early, but we really have a lot to prepare. Talitha already told me everything. Or at least I hope it is everything. Before we get the stuff we need, we need a plan.«

This was not really the answer I had hoped for, but a plan sounded good right now. Very good actually.

 

Even though we moved with haste, it took us a very long time to arrive at Terence’s house, which was located at the corner of the slumps. It was one of the nicer looking homes in this part of the city, which meant as much as that it looked more like a middle-class home than a slump ruin. By the time we got there, the sun had already risen, so we had walked through the city for several hours. Terence had told me to be quiet, which had not been hard, since I had had a lot on my mind to think about. Where we would go from here? Could I trust Terence? What would become of my family? And most especially: How was my sister right now? Was she sad? Could she cope with the situation? What would _she_ do now? Thoughts like that. And it was hard to think about those things, since I did not have an answer to any of the questions in my head.

When Terence closed the door behind him it was like he had lifted a weight off of me, because I immediately found my voice again.

»Where do we go?« I asked again, though this time the answer would hopefully the one I wanted to hear. Or not, depending on what it would be.

»Nordberg. The vendors, that came from out of town to sell their wares here at the Solstice festival, will leave in the course of the next few days, so it will be easy to catch a caravan, despite the difficult circumstances.« he said. Now that was what I called an answer _and_ a plan.

»So the plan is to catch a caravan.« I concluded since I knew fully well that one could not survive the desert outside of the city walls without one.

»It would be ideal, but not certainly necessary. You see, I have my fair share of experience when it comes to navigating through the desert, so if worst comes to worst, we could also make do without one. It would be better for you through, since I don’t know how your condition is.«

»So it’s caravan or no caravan. But still! We cannot just leave without anything!« I argued, having read a lot about travels and the like. Terence snorted in amusement.

»I was not planning to. But for that we have to make a list, otherwise me might forget something in the end.« He scrambled through his stuff, which frankly was not really much, until he found a parchment, as well as quill and ink. He began to write stuff down, occasionally going through his small house to check stuff, while I waited patiently. The urge to ask more questions was almost overwhelming, but I also knew that it was important for him to concentrate now, otherwise we really might end up forgetting something.

The more I thought about Nordberg though, the more curious I became. I knew from books that it was a lot different there than it was here. They actually had four seasons and mountains. They had a cathedral where the six guardians of the city, real gods, resided. They had six royal families and therefore six kings that ruled the city and the North Lands together. Since I was not interested in politics, I did not know as much about it as Prech though. Now long would it take to get to Nordberg? A few days? A week? Two weeks? Maybe even a moon! In any case, it was far, far away from here. Way too far as if people would still look for a Caspana who killed the prince there. Way too far away as if that anyone would know me. Personally at least. All in all, it was the perfect place to hide.

»Hey kid, what about that cloak? It’s a little too big for ya, isn’t it?« Terence suddenly remarked and startled me out of my thoughts.

»Yes. I stole it.« I said and looked to the ground in shame. Even though I often got into trouble, I had never stolen something, had never been a thief. One could argue that it had been a very special situation, but that did not change the fact that it was stolen.

»Yeah, thought so. Just don’t let that become a habit.« Terence said with a little grin and noted something down. »There. I think this should be everything.« he said and held the parchment up. I trotted up to him to take a look and saw that it was a shopping list.

»Do you have enough money to buy all of this?« I asked, since I knew that some of this stuff was not cheap and that even normal middle class people had trouble affording them.

»Don’t worry, kid. Celli has got me covered.« he said with a grin. »Talitha came by earlier and dropped off a massive amount of money that will help us to get everything we need and more.« I returned the grin. That sounded good.

Then Terence’s grin faded and he let out a sigh. »But that was it with the good news already. To get that stuff we have to walk all around the city and that will take up at the very least the full day. Which means that it’s impossible to get out before Celli brings out that report of hers.«

I bit my lip nervously. Celestia has told me in detail what exactly that report meant, so I would be pretty much doomed once it got out.

»No one will recognize me when I put on an illusion spell.« I said in an attempt to contribute something to the plan.

»That’s very helpful, but not enough. I bet that they will do iron controls or something similar on everyone who leaves the city from then on. And no matter if you wear an illusion spell or not, an illusion stays an illusion. Your body is apparently that of a fae now and therefore, you will roll on the ground crying by every little touch of iron.«

»And if I can make myself invisible?« I suggested, not thrilled at all to have yet another close contact with my now most hated metal.

»That would be very helpful.« Terence said, but sounded skeptical. »But that is S-Class levels of magic, so out of both of our league, I guess.«

 _Make me invisible._ I wished, while calling out to the light. I almost started laughing when Terence gaped at me in disbelief. I made myself visible again. Was it just me, or had that been more draining than the last time I had done it?

»Ok, so we have yet another option. Very good trick, kid.« I grinned a little, but also my grin faded quickly.

»T-Terence. Why are you not afraid of me at all?« I eventually asked. Everyone else had been afraid of me. Even Celestia.

»Because I ain’t scared of a little kiddo. That would be silly.« he said and ruffled my mane with a hoof.

»But-«

»Not buts. You’ve been through a lot, so I get why you would ask that, but I’m not your everyday Monabur citizen.« he grinned. »I’m from outside, so trust me: I have seen much worse. Plus you’re wearing an illusion spell since I met you. Can’t judge much from that, can I?«

Oh, I had totally forgotten about that. He probably would be afraid of me too if I would take off the illusion spell at night. Then again, he seemed even more open-minded about the whole supernatural-being-topic than even Celestia was. Just _who_ was Terence? From the outside or not, he clearly was very different from anyone I have ever met.

»Will you promise me not to leave me if I take it off at night?« I asked. To my surprise, Terence started laughing.

»I won’t leave you no matter what. I promised Celli that and if there is one thing you can be sure of, then it is that I keep what I promise. And I promise you to do everything I can to bring you out of here safe and to make a living in Nordberg.«

»Thank you Terence. And I’m sorry that you have to leave your home and-«

»It’s not as much of a big deal as you might think. Sure, I will miss some people here and maybe I will even never see them again, but life goes on. I’m not made for staying forever in one place, so change was about to happen sooner or later anyway. Seems like fate wanted it to rather be sooner than later though, which is why you do not have to be sorry for anything. Okay, kid?«

I nodded.

»Great. So with that out of the way I think we are all set for a good long stroll through the city to get our stuff.«

»What’s first on the list?« I asked.

»That’s the spirit! I think I like you, kid.« Terence said with a grin.

 

……………………………………..

 

I had not imagined it to be _that_ hard to go shopping on the market and in several stores. First of all, the bags Terence and I carried were full almost instantly and therefore were very heavy. Carrying heavy stuff on your back for most of the day is not fun at all. And second, to get the vendors to sell you exactly what you wanted for as low of a price as possible was Hard. As. Hell. I was surprised by how rude some of the sellers were to Terence and me.

»That’s mainly due to the circumstances. With the prince dead and a murderer running around, everyone is on edge.« Terence said after I had complained about the vendor, who had sold us three maps. To get those specific maps had taken us almost half an hour though, since he had always tried to sell us one of Eriwon instead of one of the Middle Lands. The other two maps were of Koruna and of the North Lands. While Terence had assured me that he knew his way around even without a map, that he would prefer to have some with him anyway. Just in case.

»Don’t we need a compass too? I have not seen it on your list.« I remarked, choosing not to comment on his latest explanation. It kinda hurt to know that _I_ was causing all of this distress and I did not like it.

»I have one at home, so we don’t need to buy a new one.« Terence said while further studying the list and hooking things off.

»What’s next?« I therefore asked.

»Cloaks. You need two. One for Koruna and part of the Middle Lands and one for the North Lands.« he replied and put the list back into a pocket of his cloak.

»Why two? I don’t need one for change once the first gets dirty, if that is the reason.« I quickly clarified. Terence however laughed again.

»No, kid. The climate is the problem here. While Koruna and most parts of the middle lands are quite warm at this time of the year, the North Lands are cold. Or at least they are cold for Koruna standards. Therefore you need a light cloak for Koruna and the Middle Lands and a thick cloak for the North Lands.«

»Ah, now I get it! But won’t that take forever? Prech always complains about her dresses not being made quick enough and that usually takes _weeks_. We only have a few days, don’t we?«

Terence let out a chuckle. »I did not know you wanted to wear a _dress_.« he said, to which I just could make a disgusted face.

»I don’t! But a cloak is still clothing and therefore takes time!«

»There is a difference still. You are used to high quality work and quality always takes time. We, however, just need two simple cloaks. Besides, you’re a kid, so you’re still growing. A simple cloak would only last you a year or two anyway and by that time you’ve already outgrown it, so there is no real need for quality work here.«

»I see. So how long _will_ it take? I hate standing still. This measurement thing is _the worst_.«

»Talitha was right, you have a thing for dramatizing stuff.« I threw him a sour glance, which he found highly amusing.

»It won’t take all day, if that’s what you had been worried about.«

It was exactly what I was worried about.

»They might not even have to take measurements of you if they have cloaks in your size in stock. Then again, the chance that they have cloaks for the North Lands in stock at all is slim, but hopefully the first cloak will be finished fast.«

This helped not much to ease my worries.

»Where is the shop?« I asked, while looking behind me, seeing the market disappear more and more into the distance as we walked through his alley that connected to one of the main streets.

»A few blocks more central than here, but it’s nothing too fancy.«

»I don’t like _fancy_ anyway.«

»And now I _really_ like you, kid.«

»Because I don’t care for fancy stuff?«

»Exactly. You’re proving all my prejudices wrong.«

»Uh, what are prejudices?«

Terence looked at me as if I’d have asked what the sky was.

»Celestia taught you about history and magic and constellations, but she hasn’t taught you what prejudices are? Curse her nerdy brain.«

»So what are prejudices?«

»They are basically things people think of you without even knowing you. Mostly they are wrong assumptions that could even be potentially hurtful and cruel.«

»…And why would you think that about me?« I asked, slightly confused since Terence did not really seem to be someone to think bad about other people.

»Because normal people like me never really get to see much of your family, kid. All we do is _hear_ about you and see you as representatives of Koruna at important celebrations. Yes, we like you and worship you, but all this ›close to the gods‹ deal is a little – how should I say? – too divine. Or with other words: Most people don’t like people who think themselves to be better than anyone else.«

»That’s what I keep telling Prech! She always goes on and on about superiority and stuff like that.« I said but suddenly grew silent. »Or at least, that’s what I _kept_ telling her.« I added more quietly.

»You miss her, huh?« Terence asked. I could just nod.

»I never had siblings, so I don’t know a lot of what it is like. Much less of what it is like to have a twin. But I’m sure she cares about you too, so be assured that it is not one-sided. You know what I mean?«

“Yeah, but it still feels horrible. She thinks I’m dead.« I suddenly bumped into something soft and looked up to apologize, but it only was Terence, who had suddenly walked in front of me.

»Listen, Draco, none of this is your fault, so stop beating yourself up about it.«

»But it still-«

»No buts.« Terence smiled. »You cannot change the situation now without making it worse. What we both do right now is one of the best courses of actions possible and most especially one of the safest. It will keep your sister and everyone else safe. One day you will come back here and explain everything to her and your family, but now is not the time.«

»I know…I still don’t want her to be sad.« I said, trying very hard to avoid saying ›but‹.

»No one wants those they care about to be sad, but sometimes we can’t do anything about it. This is one of those times.«

I nodded again. Terence was right. I could not waste my time thinking about Prech right now. I would be able to do so for the next few years anyway.

 

……………………………………..

 

»Hold still, this will only take an hour or so.« the camel lady said while several Raccardis pinned fabrics on me and drew lines on them.

 _»I hate you so much right now, Terence.«_ I thought and wished he would hear that. Apparently, he did, since he began chuckling. And also, apparently, my suffering amused him. And apparently, I was capable of telepathy now? It did not surprise me much honestly. I just added it to the list of new abilities I had. Both Celestia and Terence have told me though that this magic would eventually fade. Since both of them went to Magic Academy and were mages, I believed them for now.

»An hour?« I asked the camel lady, who nodded with a smile.

»I know. I’m a very fast worker.« she said, obviously interpreting my question wrongly.

 _One hour is supposed to be_ fast _!? I really have no idea about the fashion business._ I thought and scowled in displeasure.

»But I do admit, I do not get such requests very often. A cloak for the North Lands, hmm.« she continued and walked around her working room, letting Raccardis pick various objects she pointed at. »So you are going to Nordberg. For a family visit or a festival?« she asked, obviously trying to hold unbound conversation.

»We plan on moving there actually. I’ve seen enough of Monabur and I think it would be educational for my little cousin here to see a little of the world. Also they have very good Magic Academies up there.« Terence and I had agreed to pretend that I was his cousin, since that would make things much less complicated.

»And what do his parents say to this?«

»They sadly cannot say anything to this anymore.« Terence said with a sad tone. It was not a lie, but what could have been implied was clear.

»Oh dear, I am so sorry to hear that. Orphan at such a young age.« the camel said with a lot of sympathy in her voice. If I would not know better, I was sure that she was about to start crying. I decided to just play along and looked to the ground sadly. Luckily not much talent for acting was needed for this, since I was genuinely sad about not being able to see my parents for several years.

»May the gods watch over the both of you.« she said and bowed her head a little to show further sympathy for us.

»But yes, Nordberg. It seems like a good choice on that background. A change in environment might be the best thing now. You know, trying a new start.«

 _A new start indeed._ I thought. Terence nodded.

»I also thought so. I just hope that we will find a home there rather quickly.«

»Well, I am no expert when it comes to this, but I have been to Nordberg once for some education on their fashion. What I can tell from experience is that you usually have a better chance to get a home closer to the city walls. The closer you are to the middle district, the more expensive the rent is. Same for hotels.«

»Thanks for the advice. We will keep it in mind.« Terence said with a smile while the camel adjusted the fabrics on me with a little bit of magic.

Telekinesis was a neutral and very simple magic everyone who went to school learned. Basically, the only magic one could learn in school. But the camel did not seem to be able to hold it for very long, which was why she had all the Raccardi slaves to help her carry stuff. At least that was my impression.

»I also understand why you want to leave in such a haste now. After all, there is a murderer running around the city at this very moment.« the camel lady continued while not taking her eyes off of the piece of clothing on me.

»Exactly. We have pondered about it for a while now, but with the newest _circumstances_ it might be for best to set the plan into motion rather sooner than later.«

»I absolutely agree. After all, who knows what could happen from now on? I always knew those _demons_ could not be trusted and now they have killed the prince.« she sniffled at the last part. I tried my utmost hardest to keep a straight face and stay still. It still was weird to have everyone think that I was dead and it was especially weird to have them talking about it while I was in the same room.

»Do you know when the funeral is going to be? I heard it is tomorrow evening.« the camel lady continued. I bit on my lip. I had not even thought about there being a funeral. It was a little creepy to think about it.

»I don’t know. Have not heard anything about it yet.« Terence said and threw me a worried look.

»People say it’s only going to be open for the high society and the royal family of course.«

»Makes sense. After all, they do not suspect someone of the high society to be the murderer.«

»Can we maybe talk about something else?« I said through clenched teeth, since the topic was very uncomfortable for me.

»Oh, I’m sorry. This must be hard for you since your parents…« The camel lady grew quiet.

»It’s been a while, but he still has trouble talking about it.« Terence said, trying to take the attention away from me. It worked only for a moment. The camel lady nodded.

»What is your name by the way?« she asked me.

 _Oh, sh- damn it._ I thought. Terence and I had not talked about a fake name yet. To be honest I was not even sure if I could get used to a fake name. Was ›Draco‹ such a rare name anyway? As much as I knew I had been named after a famous constellation after all, so I could not be the only one with that name.

»D-Draco.« I therefore said with an unsure grin. The camel lady halted in her work.

»Oh. That must be confusing for you now to hear your name everywhere in association with someone’s death…« she said.

»He is a little older than the prince was though and it’s written with a ›k‹, not a ›c‹, so it’s not exactly the same and not copied.«

»Oh, I did not want imply that at all! But it does _sound_ the same.« she said. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. So, I would get to keep my name after all. More or less. This was at least _something_. When I had to leave everything else behind, I would at least get to keep my name.

»Yeah, and that’s another reason why leaving Koruna in general might be best. Those annoying associations would probably stop then.« Terence said, trying to make the subject sound more natural. The camel was seemingly more than willing to accept that explanation, because she nodded again in understanding.

»You don’t have it easy, that’s for sure.« she said.

 _You think!?_ I thought sarcastically and had to fight against the urge to roll my eyes.

 

Terence and her kept talking about less risky topics, some having to do with employment and stuff like that, which did not really interest me. I therefore watched the Raccardis work.

»How many of you are working here?« I eventually asked one of them when I decided that staying silent was too boring.

»What was that, dear?« the camel asked, seemingly thinking I had talked to her.

»I was talking to the Raccardis.« I clarified, which drew an unsure grin from her.

»I’m sorry, but they cannot talk.«

»Of course they can!« I argued, already expecting this to become one of those fundamental arguments about the morals of slavery, or lack of rather. But the camel lady shook her head sadly.

»A slave vendor came into town a while ago, searching for someone to sell his litter of Raccardis to. He had seemed to think that, since slaves should only be seen and not heard, it would be a good idea to cut their tongues off. I felt sorry for them and therefore bought the whole litter, offering them employment here.« I stared at her in horror. I had no idea that people would go _that_ far to make sure that Raccardis would stay a slave race.

»That’s horrible.« I said and threw the furry creatures a sad look. They, however, smiled at me and puffed their fur in slight embarrassment.

»Some do that, even though I have never seen mute ones myself.« Terence said, who was also looking at the Raccardis now.

»They are having it good here. I don’t even want to start to _consider_ where they might have ended up if I had not bought them. In any case, they are a great help in my shop.«

When one of the Raccardis yawned, I could really see the empty space that should have been occupied by a tongue. I quickly looked away. I think was going to be sick.

Despite their muteness, the Raccardis seemed to be happy though, helping with everything the camel lady asked of them.

After what felt like an eternity, the pieces of fabric were finally lifted from me again to be sewn together more precisely on a table. I stretched my stiff legs and trotted up to Terence.

»How long do you think is this still going to take?« I asked him quietly. He shrugged.

»Dunno. Ask her or one of the Raccardis. Hey can probably tell you.«

»They cannot talk, Terence.« Had he not been listening?

»I know that. But they still can _hear_ , can’t they? So they will be able to make hand gestures or something to tell you how long it will still take.« This made me curious. I walked up to one of the little furry creatures that currently seemed to have nothing to do and therefore sat on a shelf. It was a girl who had purely white fur and wings, as well as red eyes. It was a weird coloration.

»Excuse me, but do you know how long it will take to make that cloak?« I asked a little timidly, since I did not want to offend her in any way. The Raccardi seemed to appreciate my question though and smiled slightly. Then she lifted one of her hands and showed me three fingers.

»Three hours?« I asked in horror. She shook her head and now lifted both of her hands, showing me all ten of her fingers three times.

»Thirty minutes?« I asked. She nodded and then made a gesture with the hand that seemed to indicate that she was not really sure, but that it was thirty minutes more or less. I returned her smile.

»Thank you.« I said. She nodded and wigged her tail a little, seemingly being happy. I guess not many people came up to her and asked her stuff. For one because she was a Raccardi and people usually did not talk to Raccardis and second because she was mute.

»Do you like working here?« I therefore asked, trying to keep the conversation going. She nodded. Then she pointed at the camel and then touched her chest where her heart was.

»You like her a lot?« I guessed and again the Raccardi nodded. Then she pointed at me, again pointed at her heart and then pointed to Terence. She then regarded me with a questioning look. It took me a moment to get what she meant.

»Yes, I guess I like him. He is very nice and helps me out.« I said. I honestly could not say more than that, since I knew Terence for only a few hours so far.

The Raccardi smiled at me again. I saw that she probably wanted to ask me more questions, but did not know how to do so.

»Do you think there are also Raccardis in Nordberg?« I asked her, to which she made weird gestures at her ears and puffed out her fur. I gave her a confused look and she repeated the gestures.

»There are Mountain Raccardis in Nordberg.« Terence clarified. »They have longer ears and thicker fur and are also a little bigger. They are not completely sentient though and are therefore mostly used as pets. Desert Raccardis are usually feeling insulted when being compared to them.«

The white Raccardi nodded in agreement.

»Wow, I did not know about that.« I said and turned my gaze to the Raccardi again.

»Have you ever met a Mountain Raccardi?« I asked her. She shook her head.

»Hmm, why don’t you help the others by the way?« I asked curiously and hoped to not offend her with that question. She pointed at her eyes, which confused me. Yes, they were pinkish red, but what did that matter?

»Poor Shasa over there is half blind.« the camel threw in, who had apparently listened to our conversation.

»Why blind?« I asked shocked. She had not appeared blind to me.

»She is an albino and they often have problems with their eyes. She was born with it though, so she is used to it. But she cannot help with detail work like this due to it.« the camel clarified while not looking away from the cloak. I was silent for a moment before I looked at the white Raccardi again. She just shrugged, as if it would not be a big deal.

»So your name is Shasa.« I said. She nodded, seemingly really proud of that fact.

»I named all of them.« the camel said. »The vendor said they would not need names, but I still thought they deserved some.« I blinked. How could someone have no name? All Raccardis I knew had a name and since I had so far lived in the castle I knew _many_.

»That reminds me of a story from a friend of mine.« Terence said. »Her parents gifted her a Raccardi for her second birthday. They had gotten it from the slave market for a good price. When my friend asked the Raccardi what her name was, she could not reply because she did not have one. Her parents told her to just name the Raccardi herself, but she refused. She then convinced her parents to go to the market with her to find the vendor they had gotten the Raccardi from. He was very confused when they asked after the mother of the litter my friend’s Raccardi was from. He eventually gave in and brought them to her. My friend then laid the Raccardi to her mother into the cage and asked the older Raccardi to name her child. The mother had cried, since she had not seen that much kindness regarded to her from anyone ever in her life. The scene was so heartwarming that my friend’s parents eventually bought the mother too, so that she and her daughter could be together.«

When Terence ended, the camel had tears in her eyes.

»That is such a sweet thing to do. How did the little one end up being named?« she asked.

»Talitha.« Terence said and I was taken aback. I had never heard the story how Celestia and Talitha had met. Now their close relationship made a lot more sense.

»That’s a very pretty name. And what has become of her?« the camel asked, momentarily having paused her work. Terence grinned.

»She grew into a very sassy girl who does not take crap from anyone.«

The camel laughed. »It’s not everyday you meet a Raccardi with such an attitude.« she said and resumed her work.

»Yeah, Talitha really is special in that sense.«

»She hit me with a book last week because I said something bad about Cynfor.« I commented with a scowl.

»Righteously so. One simply does not speak ill of Cynfor.« The camel lady said. I decided to better not comment on that. The research of the previous night still lingered in my head. It was weird how, for a moment, I had forgotten about the curse altogether. But now, that the thought of it had returned to my mind, I made a vow to keep my mouth shut as long as possible. I could not risk to say anything risky after all.

 

»It’s very fluffy inside.« I said when I tried the cloak on. The camel lady smiled. »That’s because it’s made out of sheep wool. It’s not the best thing, but I had nothing better in stock and this will still keep you warm.« she said.

»Is it really that cold?« I asked, since it was hard to imagine that it would be so cold anywhere constantly that one would need such a cloak in addition to one’s coat.

The camel lady nodded. »You will be surprised just _how_ much colder will be. It is summer now, so it will only get colder once you arrive there.«

»Great.« I said and could not help but to sulk a little. I was not really a big fan of coldness.

»But what do you say, kid, is the cloak alright?« Terence asked and I stretched my legs to test it. It was slowly getting too warm in the fluffy thing, but I guess that was a good thing since it was supposed to warm me after all.

»Yes, it seems good.«

»I’m happy to hear that.« the camel lady said with a smile. Also the Raccardis smiled, seemingly happy with their combined work. I smiled back, silently thanking them.

I let Terence take off the cloak then, since it would be hard to explain if I would do it, since I was not supposed to know that much magic yet. He then put my new, much lighter cloak on me. The camel had decided that the cloak I had worn previously, which was way too big for me, could be cropped a little and then would do a just fine job. It also had been a lot cheaper to do it that way than to make a completely new one.

»Thanks a lot.« I said.

»You are very welcome.« the camel lady said happily and took one Brillend and three Silverend from Terence. So, all of this had cost 130 Vend? Was this much? Another downside of being the prince was that I never really learned how precious money actually was since I usually just got what I wanted. Money had always been available to me, so I hoped that this had not cost Terence a fortune.

»Have a nice day.« the camel lady said as we left and we wished her the same. I smiled at her and the Raccardis a last time before the door fell shut.

 

……………………………………..

 

»Terence?« I asked when we sat at the table back at his house, eating dinner.

»Hmm?« he asked, currently chewing on a piece of chicken.

»Are you sure it is okay to wait until tomorrow to get the rest of the stuff we need? Do we really need that stuff?«

»You mean why we are not leaving now before the report is out, like Celestia planned.« he clarified after he had swallowed the bite. »The reason for that is that we have a very long and tiring journey ahead of us. We need everything we can get and you need as much rest as you can get.«

»But won’t it be more risky this way?«

»Kid, the whole life is risky. Some things are just riskier than others. But just because something is risky, does not mean that it is impossible to accomplish.«

»I see.« I said thoughtfully and took a bite from the bread we had bought. It did not taste as good as the food I usually ate, but I was in no position to complain. After all, quality was expensive, no matter what you talked about. Actually I even enjoyed this simplicity right now.

»Speaking of risky things, why don’t you take your illusion spell off right now? It’s not like people will be able to see your through the walls.« Terence joked.

»But it will be like you spitting out your dinner when the sun sets.« I countered to which Terence broke out into laughter again. He really liked to laugh apparently.

»Kid, I already told you that I ain’t scared of you.« he said when he had calmed down a little.

»You can’t say that before you have not seen it.« I said with a sigh and took a look at the parchment again I had scribbled down this early morning. It was like a list of rules for me or a list of reminders of things that had changed now in my life and things I needed to do to keep myself safe. My look hovered to a certain point. I read it out loud.

» _Always keep your illusion spell up. The magic of the curse does more than to just give you the look of a fae, but it does also make you be feared. People will fear you without a reason, often even people you trust._ « I looked at Terence. »That’s what Celestia said. And it really is like this. Everyone has been afraid of me so far. Even her! So why would you see it any differently. I really don’t want to scare you or anything.«

Terence sighed. »Draco, we will be together for quite a while now. And if Celli managed to get used to it after a few minutes, then surely I will get used to it in at most an hour too. I will have to get used to it eventually anyway.«

He was right. But still…

»Just try it. I promise I won’t judge.« Terence said and took another bite from his piece of chicken meat as if this would be a conversation about the weather. I took a deep breath and eventually let my illusion spell fall, revealing my natural golden chestnut coat with the black mane.

Terence looked me up and down for a little before giving me a grin. »I must admit it’s kind of interesting to see you up close like this.«

»You have seen me up close the whole day.« I flatly replied.

»I know, but not like _this_.« Terence commented with a shrug.

»Do looks really matter that much?« I muttered. It was not like I hated how I looked like, but it still bothered me that I looked exactly like my sister.

»They don’t, but seeing you like this makes me realize a little more that you are actually royalty.«

I threw my head back with an annoyed groan. »Urgh, I’m not royalty anymore!«

»Don’t be so sure of that.«

»I’d like to be sure of it though. This way I don’t have to think too much about it.«

»Hey, it that’s your mechanism of coping, I won’t judge. I’m just saying to not just throw away what you have been given. Others would literally kill for the title you have.«

»I wouldn’t, even if I would not have born royalty.«

»You can’t say that.«

»I can! It’s so frustrating to be told what to do all the time. If you are not perfect, you are a disgrace. And it’s not just the expectations of your family, but of the whole country!«

»Alright, you win. I take back what I said.« Terence said with a defeated grin. I sighed.

»Let’s just not talk about it, okay?« Terence nodded and we kept eating our dinner in silence. Until now I had not really noticed how hungry I really had been and so I ate as much as I could. When I suddenly heard Terence gasp I raised my head.

»What?« I asked, but from his look I knew immediately _what_. »Told you.« I mumbled and just kept eating. When Terence kept being silent I paused and looked up again.

»Terence?« I asked hesitantly, now a little unsure of how to act since he still stared at me in silent shock. Eventually he shook his head.

»Sorry, this is just…« He said, trying to find words.

»Scary?« I suggested with a sour expression. It was not like I had not been afraid the first time I had seen myself in this form.

»Unusual.« Terence corrected.

»That’s an underestimation!« I said with a roll of my eyes. I had been attacked every single time after all when people had seen me like this. Terence was the only exception so far.

»But thanks for not coming at me with an iron kettle.« I said. Terence arched an eyebrow.

»An iron kettle?«

»Celestia thought it to be a good idea.« I muttered. Even though I understood where she was coming from, I was still angry at her for it. »Out of everyone you are handling it the best so far, so…congrats?« I said, unsure what to say otherwise.

»Heh, thanks kid, though I will be honest with you now: Celestia is right with the curse thing. I _am_ afraid of you, but this fear is not rational, it’s instinctual. That means that it is like I am _forced_ to be afraid of you even though I rationally know that I do not have to.«

I looked at him sadly. »Do you think this will go away?«

»I very much hope so. But I guess it will, so don’t worry about it. But still keep to what Celli told you: never take off your illusion spell in front of others. You don’t know what they might do.«

I gulped. I knew that just _too_ well…


	6. In The Lion's Den

** Chapter 5 **

* * *

**In the Lion's Den**

_23 rd Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Celestia_ **

The light of the morning sun shone through the windows of the royal library. I was about to fell asleep with my head on the desk, when the door to the castle’s hallway opened and a guard came in.

»We have the order to search the library for intruders.« the wolf said in a voice that did not allow any disagreements. I raised my head and yawned.

»Then being quiet while doing so, will you? Because of the research I did not get any sleep last night.« I said tiredly, while a few guards skimmed through the huge library.

Already twice servants had come in and asked for my report. Especially the last servant, who had come by about half an hour ago, had seemed particularly impatient and uneasy. This meant that the king was becoming restless and would probably show up here personally if I would not give him results soon. While I knew that he was reasonable and therefore quite aware that thorough research took its time, he also was in a difficult emotional state. After all, he thought his son to be dead and that probably made him impulsive. A bad trait for a king.

But I needed more time. And more sleep for that matter.

»Our apologies for the intrusion Miss Herua. We have not found any intruder or anything suspicious.« The wolf guard said after what felt like a few minutes but was probably half an hour. I just nodded and lowered my head to the desk again.

»Just five minutes. Won’t make much difference now anyway.«

 

I was startled out of my nap when the doors to the castle’s hallway flew open again. How long had I been asleep? Had it been just a few minutes or an hour? Judging from the position of the sun it might have been half an hour or a little more. Either way I felt anything but rested.

When I cast my view to the entrance, I was surprised to see not King Yandro, but Queen Talea enter the royal library.

»How is the research doing?« she asked, her voice quiet and with a ring of desperation to it. I sighed sadly.

»I still try to find a reference to an important theory of mine that could prevent a holocaust, but so far I have been unsuccessful in finding it.« I said truthfully. Talea was different from her husband. She, while still bearing an important title, did not have the full responsibility for an entire nation. No, at this moment she was just a devastated, scared mother who mourned her dead son. I felt my heart ache when I saw her this broken. Her son was alive and well after all. To not be able to tell her was torturous.

 _And here we have the karma for my actions._ I thought.

»A holocaust?« Talea asked in shock, not quite understanding the situation.

»You see, your highness, I have reason to believe that the species we are talking about here is one that suffers heavily under the prejudices from us people. They have once been like us too, so I do not think that all of them are the same from their mindset. I yet have to find something to prove that though, otherwise…«

»They killed my son! Who, in their right mind, would kill a child?!« Talea asked infuriated. Her usually so calm attitude was all but gone.

»A criminal.« I muttered. Suddenly I raised my head as the puzzle pieces that did not fit together earlier started to fall into place in my head. Preciosa had seen her brother getting killed. She swore that. Not through a trick of light or anything, but he really had been murdered. Draco had died, there was no doubt. So, if it had not been the flames, _who_  had killed him and who would therefore the right culprit to pursue?

 _I don’t have enough clues nor enough time to start my research all over again!_ I ranted in thoughts and bit my lip in frustration.

»This is hard for us all, your highness, so trust me when I tell you that I will do my utmost best to find out who this murderer is, but it is more important than ever to think rationally now. If we make hasty decisions and start to search after the wrong ones, we will regret it later and also will be responsible for dooming a whole race by setting prejudices in the people’s heads. Therefore, please stay patient and let me complete my research before it goes out as an actual sheet of facts. Any mistake could lead to another catastrophe.«

Queen Talea nodded and her eyes seemed empty from sorrow. »I understand, Miss Herua.« she said quietly. »I will tell Yandro that you still need some time. But please be sure to have it ready by sunset at latest. We cannot wait longer than that.«

»Of course, your highness.« I said and bowed slightly with my head in a respectful manner, as the queen turned to leave the library as quietly as she had entered it.

»This is good news. You now have enough time to find something.« Talitha said while flying through the shelves to maybe find yet another book that could help with the research. I could just sigh.

»I doubt that any time will be enough time. The real murderer disappeared without any trace and the attention has been lead to those who bear the Caspana curse and-« again puzzle pieces seemed to fall together in my head.

»Talitha, who did the guards say again was that mare yesterday?« I asked, fearing that my suspicions might prove themselves correct. The Raccardi shrugged.

»They said she was a Dædscúa.«

The Dædscúa. They were one of the richest families in town and had a lot of influence. They were said to have moved here from the North Lands a few generations ago, and have always been wealthy.

»Stay here in the library. I have to speak to the king.« I said to Talitha while hurriedly standing up and grabbing my notes.

» _What_!?« The Raccardi asked in shock. »Weren’t you _just_ saying that you need more time!?«

»There is no time.«

 

……………………………………..

 

»Your majesty, Miss Herua has asked for a word with you.« Derja, the old gryphoness advisor said. King Yandro perked his ears and swayed his head to the side to look at the open door, in which I stood. I could honestly say that I have not even been this nervous in the king’s presence when I had applied for the job as a librarian and palace mage. I sank into a respectful bow before I properly entered, the stack of parchments with my research floating beside me.

»I take, the research is done.« King Yandro said with a cold voice. A shiver ran down my spine.

»Actually, not quite, your highness. But I have found something that might be worth bringing to your attention.« I said and tried my best to choose my words for the next part wisely. The king nodded.

»Do tell.«

»Yesterday evening, a white coated mare came to the library and gave me information I could not find in the books I had at my disposal. The guards informed me, that she was of the Dædscúa family.«

»What is this leading to? The Dædscúa family is standing in our highest regards. That they contributed crucial information is splendid.«

»Your highness, with all due respect, this mare has given me information of own experience, telling me her family was dead. I have researched and found that there are no deaths of members of the Dædscúa bloodline that have been caused by murder. The only one that occurred lays two centuries back and has been committed by a group of criminals in Mondstädt. Therefore, I ask myself how exactly seeming family members of her have died. With your permission, I would like to go to their mansion and ask details about the occurrence. I do not want to have possibly false information in my report after all.«

The king pondered. »This is indeed a strange occurrence. Very well. Go to their mansion and find out what you can. However, if nothing of your given information changes through this visit, I expect your report upon your arrival back at the palace.« I gulped.

»Yes, your highness.« I said and took the signed parchment Derja gave me, which was an official permission for an interrogation with the Dædscúas.

While I departed the still intact part of the castle, I took a look back at what was now not more than black ruins. It was a sad and also shameful display and I forced myself to look away.

Keeping my glance on the street, I wandered through the center district. It was where the rich and mighty lived in glorious mansions that, now more than ever, gave the palace itself some competition. I eventually stopped before the probably biggest and prettiest one and knocked on the door.

»Do you have an invitation?« a Raccardi immediately asked with a tired, worn voice. Most definitely a slave.

»Yes, by royalty. I am leading the research after the culprit of the murder and am here to ask some questions.«

»O-oh. Y-yes, of course. Who may I announce?«

»Celestia Asteria Herua. But I guess _Miss Herua_ is fine too.« I said and bit my lip. I was not nervous because I was about to enter the prettiest mansion of the city, owned by the wealthiest family, just after the royal family themselves. No, I was nervous because, if my suspicions were correct, it had been one of the Dædscúas who had murdered Draco and laid the fire. And therefore, this was like walking into the lion’s den.

The heavy gate before me opened, which let me be able to view the lively and very tropical looking garden that lead up to the house. They must have a very good earth mage employed to work on it. Or someone in the family was gifted with earth magic and did it themselves. Though I could only hardly imagine a Dædscúa working in the dirt.

I walked down the path, passing various kinds of fruit trees and colorful flowers, before I reached the main entrance of the mansion itself. A very elegant looking individual – he was a brown coated stallion with a mane in a darker shade of brown and several bright strands. He wore a dark red cloak, which fit perfectly to his eyes of the same color - stood in the doorway and apparently waited for me. He flashed me one of those convincing smiles, only the wealthy could create. A smile without any emotion behind it, though it still looked pleasant.

»Miss Herua, welcome to my home. I am Eagan Dædscúa. As I heard, you plan to interrogate my family and me a little, hmm?« he said, while the smile did not leave his lips. My instinct _yelled_ that he was not trustworthy, but I could not pay heed to that now. I had a royal order to fulfill.

»That is correct. Say, is there a young, white coated mare living in this house? She has given me some information yesterday evening and I want to prove how valid it is.«

»Yes, she does live here. Her name is Elvira, though I do propose that we speak to her last. The poor girl is pretty worked up about what happened.«

I forced a smile. This situation would be trickier than I thought. »And I am sorry about that, but it is crucial that I speak to her.« I insisted. Eagan sighed.

»I see what I can do. In the meantime, you can talk to Carmine. She is my niece. Get her please, will you?« The last part was directed to a Raccardi who immediately flew off to get the equine in question.

»My apologies if I do sound rude now, but there is work I have to get back to now. Carmine will he here soon and surely will be answer to answer further questions. Please wait here.« Eagan said and left after making a respectful bow into my direction.

After he had disappeared up the staircase, I took my time to look around the entrance hall. It was nothing compared to the palace’s entrance hall, which will now only show its glory in my memories anymore, but it still was admirable. Golden railings ran up the sides of the marble stairs. A red carpet of a fabric that seemed to be satin was laid out across the stairs, giving them a very elegant look. The staircase parted at the top, going into either direction and focusing the view on a wall with a huge banner on it. I looked at it with interest. With a lot of fantasy, it looked like two connected wings with a symbol on top of it. I don’t know where I have seen that symbol before, but it looked familiar.

With a look into both directions I made sure that no one was watching me and I pulled out a notebook and a pencil. With it I sketched at first the symbol and then tried to draw the wings below it as accurately as possible. I was almost finished, when a voice caught me off guard.

»We admire thy sketch, though it interests us for what purpose thou did it.«

I jumped at the sound of a young female voice and looked beside me. Without me noticing, a roan mare had walked up beside me and looked at me with a mixture of skepticism and interest. She had dark orange eyes and a blaze on the forehead. When I did not reply immediately she raised an eyebrow.

»Perhaps we were not clear enough: Why did thou draw this symbol?« she asked. I quickly cleared my throat.

»I thought to have seen it somewhere before and want to research it once I get back to the library.« I clarified.

»There is no need for that, Miss Herua, for we can tell thou what it means.« the mare said and pointed at the symbol on the wall.

»The form below the symbol is a connection of all elements. What does one see when thou look at it? Some see fire, some see water, some see wings, some see splitting earth. Some even see darkness itself with a duality to light. It is pretty much up to interpretation. The symbol above it is the language of the olden gods which is spoken in the other realms, only few know about it. This here in particular could be translated as ›Seeing in the dark and protecting what is dear‹ or even ›fighting through unclarity and keeping a keen eye out‹. Those are just rough translations though. Does this however answer thy question?«

I quickly nodded and put away my notebook.

»I presume you are Carmine Dædscúa?« I asked politely.

»Thou are right with that assumption. Eagan told us to answer thy questions. Though we propose that the library would be more comfortable than the foyer. Follow us please.« Carmine said and started walking. Her weird speaking style was something I yet had to get used to. I had only heard this language in old plays or centuries old books. No one spoke like this in this age anymore. But maybe Carmine liked the old Mereldian ways. Who was I to judge? Also it sounded very melodic when _she_ spoke that way, since her voice had a very clear and soothing tone to it. It still made her sound decades older than she actually was. From appearance she seemed to be about my age after all.

While we walked through several halls I noticed more details. Not just in the décor, but also in the lack of rather. Normally one would expect portrays of passed away ancestors to hang in the halls, but none such thing was existent here. The pictures present merely depicted scenes from popular tales like The Star Summoner or Desert Beauty. Mostly things that were considered bedtime stories for kids but also held a cultural value.

»This is the library.« Carmine eventually said when we halted in front of two huge wooden doors that had constellations carved into them.

I admitted that when she had said ›library‹ I had not expected much, even from a noble family like the Dædscúas. After all, most people had at most one book at home, which usually was the book of prayers. Some also had, additionally to that, a book with bedtime stories for children, but even that was rarer than the norm. Books were expensive after all. If someone owned more than ten of them, they were already considered either rich or an academic, which usually meant the same thing.

Therefore, I had expected to maybe find around fifty books in the Dædscúas’ library. A considerably large number in comparison to most households. A number large enough to be associated with a family like the Dædscúas. But I had been wrong.

I could not help but gasp when the doors swung open and I was presented with a collection of _hundreds_ of books. The shelves went from the floor all the way to the high ceiling and the walls in the library were stacked _full_ with them. Then again, the library was not _that_ big of a room. Maybe as big as a middle-class home’s living room, but it still was huge compared to anything else. I dared even to say that this was probably the biggest private book collection in Mereldia.

»Should thou not be used to books as a librarian?« Carmine asked and I could see a sly smirk on her face, seemingly happy with catching me off guard.

»Pardon, but I am simply not used to private book collections being _this_ big.« I replied and only now noticed that I had already stepped into the middle of the room.

»No apologies needed, Miss Herua. We are very proud of this collection ourselves and we like to brag about it when given the opportunity. Especially in front of someone who does appreciate books such as thyself.« Carmine said and closed the doors magically before offering me a couch that stood in the corner. I politely accepted it and laid down, while Carmine just unceremoniously laid down on the floor in front of me. She did not seem to mind though, so I did not ask. Also, when there was one floor in Mereldia that was clean enough that one could even _eat_ from it, then it was this one. So laying down on it probably was no problem.

»So, thou have questions to ask. I apologize that we are the only expendable family member thou can talk to at this moment. Maybe aunt Aloysia will join us later on, but until then we will do our utmost best to answer thy questions as qualified as possible.«

»Thank you for that. Mr Dædscúa said something about trying to get Miss Elvira to talk to me, how big are the chances of this happening?«

»Slim. She is a very busy person.« Carmine answered promptly and looked like she would like to change the topic.

»It is just that she came to my library yesterday and told me-«

»We know all about that, Miss Herua. Please do ask what thou further need to know about it.« Carmine cut it, seemingly not interested to stretch this interrogation much longer than needed.

»Alright, first there would be the convenience of Elvira showing up in my library and giving me the needed information. Sure, some people have noticed certain things, but even I, who was at the scene of _crime_ have not seen all the details. It simply was too fast. Furthermore, the people so far only speak of a demon. How could Elvira have concluded such an exact description from such little information?«

Carmine seemed to think about that for a moment. »Well, she has encountered Caspanas before. To pinpoint them out of a few details is not that hard when thou know them from experience. Know thy enemy after all.«

»I would have maybe believed that if not also other creatures could be described with those exact details. Demons for example.«

Carmine sighed. »Fae can be recognized through a certain feel of magical energy. They are different from demons or mortals through their connection to the other realms. A Caspana is both a mortal and a fae though, so their _presence_ , if one can call it that, is unique. For someone such as Elvira, who has encountered Caspanas before, it is easy to recognize the pattern. She is sure of what she has sensed.«

»I see.« I said and bit my lip. This would be harder than I thought. Carmine raised her head a little.

»Maybe it would be helpful to write that down. Thou might need it for thy report.« she said.

»Oh, yes, sure.« I stuttered, being brought a little out of concept. Before my behavior would raise suspicion, I did what Carmine had suggested and wrote the information down.

»Is there a chance that someone else might have laid the fire and murdered the prince?«

Carmine hesitated and suddenly looked unsure again. »We were not there, so we cannot tell thou. Elvira might have felt other presences in the castle, but if that would be the case, she probably would have told thou yesterday.«

»Still, how high do you think is the possibility that it was not a Caspana after all?«

»Not high. Caspanas are wicked beings. The curse leaves them no other choice. It makes their bodies fae and leaves their souls and minds mortal. This combination has destructive results. It is not like just gaining new powers. One gets reborn in the body of a ferocious monster with divine powers. Imagine the destruction this can cause.«

I tapped the pencil against the notebook as my mind worked at high speeds to process that new information. What Draco had told me rushed through my head again.

_I can do magic, Celestia. Real magic. I could get past the guards and they did not even notice me, like I was invisible. I dunno how I did it._

So, he had used high level magic without knowing how it worked. This was indeed divine. And knowing Draco, this could very well cause a lot of chaos.

»Maybe the lacking ability to control these powers gets confused with ferocity.« I thought out loud and looked at my notes.

»We do not think that they then would kill the prince after setting the castle ablaze. Starting the fire was one mistake and could be seen as an accident with thy logic. But how does that explain the murder on an innocent child?«

She was right. This conclusion did not add up.

»We do understand your concern, Miss Herua. Thou do not want to doom a whole _species_ without definite proof of their ferocity, but believe us when we tell thou, that there really is no innocence in them.« Carmine said and looked to the ceiling. We both were quiet for a minute, going after our own thoughts each, before she again began to speak.

»Some do seem innocent, yes. Some even are children but this is no excuse. They are smarter than mortals. They trick them into thinking they are innocent and then will strike when one least expects it.«

I did not believe a single word of it. Draco simply could not be ferocious, even if he had a fae’s body now.

»They cannot all be like that.« I argued. Carmine sighed again.

»Thou do not know much about the fae, do thou, Miss Herua? Let me tell thou a little of what mine dear mother has taught me.

»There are two courts, the Seelie and Unseelie. In most books, it is written, that the Unseelie are the wicked and ferocious fae while the Seelie are the peace-loving and friendly ones. A common mistake to make, because there actually is only one difference between the two courts: The Unseelie love the dark while the Seelie love the light. It is a difference in magic kinds, but not a difference in character. Seelie and Unseelie are both wicked, trickery beasts. It lies not only in their soul and mind, but also in every fiber of their physical being.«

Carmine paused for a moment so that I had a chance to write that down.

»In a Caspana's case, the mind at first fights against the fae instincts. Some new attributes like a fae's voice or their magic might be used by accident when the Caspana is frightened or feels like they are in danger. But these are only the first few days. Those fae attributes will grow stronger as their mortal mind grows weaker. Something mortal cannot survive long in a fae's body after all. They will eventually succumb to their instincts and when that happens, there is no way back.«

I stared at Carmine with wide eyes. If that was indeed true, then it fit together perfectly with what Draco had told me about the things he had done which he had no control over, like the _scary voice_ , as he had called it. It must have been the fae voice. But even if that was the case, he still had not killed himself. Someone else must have been the culprit.

»Miss Dædscúa-«

»Just Carmine is fine.«

»Alright, Carmine. Let's me hypothetical here for a moment. What if one fae has laid the fire and another had used that opportunity to kill the prince and place the blame on the one who had laid a fire. Let us say the arsonist was a Caspana, but the murderer was another fae, demon or even a mortal, but everyone has just seen the Caspana, who has not committed a murder, leave the building. This would indeed be an unfortunate situation for the Caspana and they would have no chance to prove their innocence.«

Carmine had perked her ears and looked at me more interested than ever.

»That indeed is a fine dilemma situation. We may not be an expert on those, so we cannot give a complete answer, but we do think what thou are hinting at: Finding the _real_ culprit under these circumstances is near impossible. And this is why thou are here right now. You have doubts about your report and want to check all sources you have still open, to be able to write it as accurately as possible.«

»You are right with that.« I sighed in disappointment. Carmine was right. Without any lead, finding the real culprit was next to impossible.

»Regardless of this interesting scenario, thou have to keep in mind that Caspanas are anything but innocent. Maybe this one has not killed the prince, but who says that they will not cause mischief in the future? A rule against them would surely be of use to us all.«

»In that hindsight you are probably right, but-«

»Are you not finished yet!?« A voice suddenly yelled from the library doors, that suddenly flew open and revealed a brown, almost black, mare with a long black mane. Her eyes were a piercing ice blue that immediately sent a shiver down my spine. I was startled by the mare's sudden arrival while Carmine did not even flinch.

»Aunt Aloysia, I expected thee.« she said and turned her gaze to the much older mare.

»Are you finished with this _interrogation_?« the mare asked in a tone that sounded so toxic that it probably could have killed a small animal.

»We were just coming to a close. Why? Is there something of importance we have to attend?«

»Not particularly important, but I, for one, want _her_ ,« she pointed to me. »out of the house. Now!« If I would write a list of how long it took until I had started to hate certain people, then Aloysia Dædscúa would now take first place.

»Very well.« Carmine said and stood up. I quickly followed her example.

»Miss Herua, please follow us. We will guide you outside. Except there is still something you need to know.«

I swallowed. Even if there would have been something, I did not dare to say it under Aloysia's intimidating, yet miraculously polite looking, death glare. I simply shook my head and then followed Carmine outside, while I pretended to concentrate on stuffing my notes into the saddle back and rummaged around in them to not have to look at Aloysia.

If one thing was clear, then this: I never wanted to visit the Dædscúas ever again. There was a certain sense of danger about them, even around Carmine, that I could not explain. I had my main culprits for the murder, but I would never be able to prove my suspicions. No matter how frustrating it was, I had to keep my mouth shut. Otherwise they might come for me.

 

……………………………………..

 

»King Yandro, your highness, my report is finished.« I said with a sad tone in my voice I could not completely ban from it. I had tried. I had really tried, but if my suspicions were correct, then it might have in the end even been one of the Dædscúas who killed Draco. If I would have asked further, they might have killed me, or would have planned to kill me in the future. I could not risk that. I had to stay alive to, if for anything, help Draco. Though I did not contribute much to that noble cause of mine right now. Not much at all.

»Let me hear what you found out.« The king said with a certain eagerness in his voice. Talea was in the throne room too, laying on her throne next to the one of her husband. Only Preciosa was missing. I had not seen her since the fire. I hoped she coped considerably well with everything that had happened.

I then took a deep breath, knowing that the following words would change the history of Koruna. If not even the history of whole Mereldia. With my following words, I would doom an innocent folk and send them to the gallows.

»What we are dealing with here are individuals that call themselves Caspanas. The name comes from the curse that lays on them, the Caspana curse. What exactly _Caspana_ means and how the curse functions, is unclear. What is clear though, are the effects it has on the mortal that bears it. Once they die, the curse transforms their mortal body into one of a fae, fully equipped with an immense amount of magic power. A Caspana can be identified at night through their dark coats with the unnatural colored markings and glowing eyes of the same color. They also have fangs, like all fae. At day, they look equivalent to how they looked in their still mortal life, so they are hard to identify. It also is notable that the curse is hereditary and therefore only occurs on horses. The only known weakness, that also applies to all other fae, is iron. It burns their skin.« I took a shuddering breath.

»However, when we look deeper into the faerie ranks, we see two distinct courts, which are called the Seelie and the Unseelie. The former is known to be more inclined to being peace-loving and friendly creatures. So, if individual Caspanas happen to be Seelie, they are not just ferocious beasts, like the books say about faeries, but they could also be a normal person. Therefore it is important, that they are not being killed but…captured rather.« I hoped with all my heart that Carmine was wrong and that the books did not lie after all. It was all the hope I had, it was all I could do. Now it was up to the king to decide what was the right course of action.

King Yandro sat on this throne, still as a statue and going through all the information I had given him. Talea looked at him with an unsure and frightened expression. Eventually he raised his head again and looked at me. Then his look went to Derja, who immediately got parchment and quill ready.

»Derja, take a note.« He said and everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath, awaiting what Yandro would say next.

»I, King Yandro Karim Alberetti, hereby declare all, who call themselves cursed with the Caspana Curse, to be an enemy to the kingdom. If one is identified, they are to be taken into custody until further judgement by royalty is laid on them. If the latter is not the case, then they are to rot in their cells, bound by iron chains.

»That is all.«

I felt like I was about to faint. It was good to hear that a Caspana would not face immediate death, but this…this here might even lead to worse outcomes than executions. If my predictions were right, then this meant, that within the next few years the whole country would have developed a huge awareness and fear of Caspanas. It would mean, that Draco might even never be able to come back home. It might mean, that he would never see his family and friends again after all. I could not tell him that. Would not tell him that. Not as long as he was safe somewhere else. I saw through the throne room’s windows and could see the sun set. I felt a twinge in my heart. At this very moment, they would be gone. They would be safe. Hopefully.

 

My hopes were for naught, because I was terribly wrong with that assumption.


	7. The Princess and The Ghost

** Chapter 6 **

* * *

**The Princess and the Ghost**

_24 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Preciosa_ **

Being myself was easiest when I was alone. The only other instance in which I did not have to wear the mask of the perfect princess, was sometimes, when I was around my brother. He understood me like no one else did, also when we argued often.

Now that he was gone I only had myself left. My rooms were gone. Burned to ashes together with everything I have ever treasured. I would not mind that much, if only Draco would not also have been taken from me. If he would still be alive, I would maybe argue with him over the loss over my expensive dresses and jewelry and school work and everything else that has been destroyed. But since I had to face with the situation of having lost _him_ of all people, all that seemed null and void to me. Who cared if some pieces of fabric or parchment had been burned? They could be replaced by similar replicas. My brother though was one of a kind. Even though we looked almost identical, we still were different in character. There was not a single person in Mereldia, who could have replaced him. Losing him was like losing a part of myself. Maybe it was because we were twins, but-

It knocked on the door and I immediately raised my head.

»Enter.« I said out of reflex, even though I would have preferred to have stayed alone.

»My apologies, your highness. I was sent to tell you that dinner is ready.« A servant Raccardi said. I just nodded as a reply, even though I knew that some words like a »thank you« would have been appropriate.

When the Raccardi left I just stayed where I was, unable to move. I was not hungry. Actually, eating was the last thing I felt like doing now. People could cope several days without eating even with a less perfect figure than mine. So why should I not be able to do that?

I looked around the room without really looking. It was one of the guest rooms we used when receiving visits from other royalty. While I was used to such comfort, I did not need it actually. Really, I more felt like sleeping on a potato sack tonight. At least it would make me look as miserable as I felt.

With a sigh, I eventually stood up from the very comfortable bed and put on a dress of a beautiful golden fabric, one of the only ones of my dresses that had not been burned. Wearing something pretty was the least I could do now. My view then fell on the detailed red stitching that depicted a phoenix and then regarded myself in the mirror again. I frowned.

My instinct told me that I needed a necklace with a red stone to go with it, even though I could actually not care less about looking perfect right now. When I left the room to eventually go to the dining hall after all, which had not been burned, the thought of a necklace irked me like an annoying itch. I eventually turned around to go to the royal treasury. I usually was not allowed to take anything out of there without permission, but regarding the circumstances they surely would make an exception. If a necklace would drive my thoughts away from the current situation, then I was not one to argue. Distraction was the key. A princess always knew how to shove her worries to the back of her mind. This did not mean that it would not hunt me in a moment of loneliness. I was still vulnerable as ever, I just did not show it.

The next guard or servant that would throw me a worried look would get fired! It was like a constant reminder that what happened really happened. Necklace as a distraction or not, everyone seemed to make my life harder at this very moment.

When I finally arrived at the treasury two guards stopped me. I straightened up to my full height and gave the guards a strict look.

»I wish to find a necklace.« I simply said and looked at the coyote and the draft stallion expectantly.

»I’m sorry, your highness, but you do not have access to the treasury.« the draft stallion said.

I did something I usually _never_ did in front of other people. I growled. This drew surprised looks from both guards of course. Under normal circumstances I would now be ashamed of my behavior, but at the moment I could not care less.

»Preciosa, what are you doing there?« A voice suddenly asked from behind me, which made me jump.

»M-mother! What are you doing here?« I asked, not having expected her.

»I was looking for you.« she said, though her eyes lacked the love and care that usually lied in them. She had been like this ever since Draco died and I could not blame her. I felt like crying every second of the day too.

»I want a necklace, mother. Can I have one from the treasury?« I asked bravely, knowing how silly my demand sounded. Mother seemed to understand where I was coming from though and stepped forward.

»Please let us through. We want to pick a necklace.« she said in her quiet voice, which seemed even more quiet than usual, to the guards, who immediately stepped aside and opened the door.

Mother and I stepped into the room full of glimmering gold, silver, bronze and gemstones. I wished I could lose myself in the beauty of it for just a moment, but it felt no different from looking at anything else. I could as well have looked at an ugly rock.

Still I immediately started my search for a necklace that fit my dress the best. Everything was nicely ordered in contrary to the pile of treasures those naïve common people expected a treasury to look like. When I looked through ruby necklaces, my view fell on a particular one that laid on a blue silk cushion. The pendant was a big round ruby that was encircled by a line of gold. The ruby itself was connected to the necklace’s golden chain through a finely worked golden hanger.

»This is a family treasure my mother once gave me.« mother said as she stepped closer.

»Grandmother Scheherazade gave it to you? Did she also get it from her mother?«

»No, from my grandfather Jamir and he got it from his mother, Safiya. Where my Great-grandmother got it from is unknown though and it is also not known who made it. But it is a very old and very precious necklace. My mother told me that the ruby is even gifted from a dragon.«

»A _real_ dragon!?« I asked. Of course I knew that dragons existed, many important historical events involved them after all, but they were so rare, that many generations could go by without anyone encountering one of the godly beasts. Draco had told me that he had learned in this magic lessons, that gemstones from a dragon could store a lot of magic and were therefore very precious. I immediately saw the ruby in another light now.

»I am not sure if that story is true. But it is a nice thought, isn’t it?« mother said while smiling slightly.

»May I wear this necklace today please? It is very pretty.« I asked with pleading eyes. The thought of dragons and magic would hopefully comfort me.

»Of course, dear.« mother said, seemingly understanding where I was coming from. She picked the necklace up with the little magic she knew and put it around my neck. I looked down at it and smiled a little. It was heavier than I expected but it fit so well to my golden coat and dress.

»Thank you.« I said and mother nodded happily.

»Let us go now. Dinner is ready and I was actually about to get you since you were not coming.« she said. I frowned. The thought of food still did not wake any hunger in me, but it was probably the best to go with mother anyway. Keeping my parents company was the least I could do now.

 

It was worse than I had expected. Father had never been much for talking, especially not at the dining table, but the silence that had befallen the hall now, was suffocating. Even if I would have wanted, I could not bring myself to eat the extravagant looking dish in front of me. It consisted of a grilled exotic bird, some vegetables ordered in an artistic way and some very good smelling sauce that went with the meat. On normal days, this would have been something I could very well eat. Frankly, it was something everyone could eat. It was delicious. Yet I could not bring myself to do so. I felt bad for the bird that had have to die just to serve me as food, yet I did not even touch it. It would end up in the garbage, having died for naught. This thought made me endlessly sad.

»Father, may I take the food somewhere else? I do not feel like eating now and do not want it to be wasted.« I said in a polite tone. My father looked at me for a long moment. In comparison to the other complicated decisions he had done over the last few days, this was probably a joke of a question. Still he pondered. When the silence grew for too long I cleared my throat.

»Father?«

»Hmm?« he asked, seemingly startled out of his thoughts. He had not even pondered my question but had allowed his mind to wander now that he was in the presence of just his loving family and a few Raccardi servants.

»May I take my food outside with me?« I asked again patiently.

»Yes, you may.« he said and shifted his attention back to his own food almost immediately. I noticed that also he and mother were barely eating at all.

A few Raccardi servants flew over when I stood up from the table and took my dish.

»I will go to the garden.« I announced, both to the Raccardis and my parents, who just nodded.

 

It was weird to see the garden in such a condition. One side of it was burned, while the other side of it was still intact, blooming in its usual colorful glory. The stream that went right through it, looking bright and idyllic on the fertile side, was a very sad sight when one looked at how it flowed through the burned part of land. It was both a reminder of what had occurred and a blessing of what had been saved. Still it had not saved my brother.

I lied down on the bridge over the stream and let my hooves touch the water’s cool surface. The Raccardis had placed the dish beside me, in case I would get hungry later or would find another use for it. I had sent them away after that. I wanted to be alone.

The water danced around my hooves and mirrored my sad face. I liked the water. Draco never really cared much for it, but I felt more alive here in the garden than anywhere else in Monabur. Maybe I had not inherited the talent of fire magic after all, like everyone predicted. Draco had clearly inherited it. He loved flames and did not care much for the garden. Though was that enough to assume that I was not indeed of the fire element? Maybe I was just too much of a _girl_ , how Draco had always said, to care for something as dangerous as fire.

But water could be dangerous too, couldn’t it? Of course, not really here in the desert. Not naturally anyway. But ice could be sharp as daggers. Water could take your air and kill you by suffocating. Water could be cold. Very cold. It made your body cold and could freeze you to death. In my opinion water was just as deadly as fire if one used it the _right_ way. Not many people in Koruna would share this opinion.

Again, I looked at the pendant I was wearing. The large ruby was reflecting the light of the evening sun. The sunset reminded me that it would only be a few hours until the funeral. I did not want to go. We did not have anything but ashes to bury anyway.

A loud crashing noise a few meters away from me drew me out of my thoughts and back to reality. I raised my head to see a colt my age struggling to get to his hooves. It looked like he had landed in the bushes. But from where? He could not have seriously climbed above the wall. It was too high to climb over, especially for a being with hooves, like him.

I stood up straight and did my best to show my superiority in my posture.

»You have no permission to be here. Leave before I call the guards!« I said and meant it. I wanted to be alone after all. The colt looked at me with hazel eyes and flinched. I took his moment of frightened hesitation to look at him in more detail. He had a white mane, a dapple-grey coat and wore a black cloak. I did not recall seeing him even once in my life, but still he looked kind of familiar. Maybe he was the son of a cook or guard and I might have seen him once or twice. Or he was one of those friends of Rylon, who Draco had sneaked into the castle once. Either way, he was trespassing on castle grounds.

»My apologies, princess. I did not mean to insult your solitude.« Normal people might have overheard the sarcasm in the last part of his sentence, but I did not. How dared he to be this disrespectful towards me!

»Leave. Now.« I said, emphasizing every word. The colt looked to the side, insecure what to do. Then he looked at me sadly.

»Actually I am here to see you. I’m sorry about what happened to your brother.« he said. Hearing those words over and over again by about everyone I passed was less a comfort than it was a slap in the face. It tore open the already bleeding wound over and over again.

»I do not need your pity!« I seethed with tears in my eyes. I knew I could not hold them back, so I just lied down on the bridge again and looked into the other direction. I had expected him to leave, especially since I had ordered him to do so. But the colt stayed where he was.

»You can cry if you feel like it. I won’t judge you if you do.« he said and sounded sincere. At least he had the courtesy to show honest empathy and not just act his way through this.

»That would be quite a miserable sight though. I am seen weak enough already as a _princess_. Crying would only make it worse.« I sniffled, not knowing why I even bothered to talk to that colt. Maybe I just needed someone to talk to? Perhaps. I just hoped that this would not have lasting consequences on my reputation.

To my surprise and huge discomfort, the colt lied down on the bridge next to me. For some reason it felt…familiar though, so I let him.

»Since when is mourning someone you love a weakness?« he asked and I could see in his eyes, that he too had lost someone and knew the feeling.

»Since forever. A leader of a country has to stay strong.« I replied immediately. If I would be an ordinary girl, I might have replied differently, but with my position, I could not allow anything that signified weakness.

When I heard a rumbling noise my attention was drawn back to him.

»Sorry, have not eaten anything for a while.« he admitted with a shameful grin. I hesitated just for a moment, then I pushed the plate with my dinner towards him. Sure, it was cold by now, but it was better than nothing.

»You can have this. I am not hungry.« I said and I saw his eyes light up.

»Thank you so much!« he said and used a little bit of magic to levitate the fork and knife. I watched him with interest though my attention was more on how he levitated the silverware. Not even Draco, who has had magic lessons practically since he was born, had been able to do that. I also noticed that the food was steaming again. Somehow he had warmed it up. My suspicions towards this stranger just grew by every passing minute. Eventually he finished and licked his lips. No matter who he was, apparently, he had enjoyed the meal and therefore the bird, that had been sacrificed to create it, had not died in vain. That was what mattered.

»Do you miss your brother?«

The question caught me off-guard.

»Yes. I’m nothing without him.« I said, speaking out my thoughts without really thinking about it.

»That’s not true. You are smart, pretty, princess-like and know how to handle problems almost immediately. That’s very admirable if you ask me.« the colt said with a smile.

»Thanks, but I can never be myself in front of others.«

»You are yourself now.« I hesitated. He was right. I had never been like this in front of anyone but Draco. How embarrassing and abasing! I have sunken low in the last few days.

»This is nothing bad. You are wonderful when you are yourself.« the colt said with a grin when he noticed my reaction.

»For someone who does not even know me, you know quite much about me.« I remarked, having grown suspicious. The colt went silent for a moment and then sighed.

»I am very bad at acting, aren’t I? Even though this was not even half as bad as usual.« the colt said and shook his head with a grin. Then he looked at me, his eyes not hazel anymore but golden like my own. Those eyes. I knew those eyes so well. It was not like looking into a mirror, but still it was almost the same as doing so.

»Drop your disguise.« I demanded, but my voice was soft and shivered. The colt gave me half a grin.

»Sorry in advance.« he said and then his dapple-grey coat and white mane were gone. Instead I saw a golden coat with a white sock on the left foreleg, a dark muzzle and a dark brown mane. Everything identical to my own looks. I could do nothing but stare at him with teary eyes. He was alive. I touched his foreleg with my own to test it. Warm.

»Draco?«

»My big sister has to ask me who I am? Color me insulted.« he said with a grin in his usual cheeky manner. This made me happy. More than just happy. I had no idea how this was possible or if it just was a dream, but I was happy. I snuggled up to him and cried my eyes out while he tried to comfort me how he always did. In a way, only he could.

»Princess, are you alright?« a guard asked with worry. I raised my head in confusion. He had stepped forward to the bridge and was looking at me with concern. I looked at Draco who gave me a sad look and then I looked at the guard again.

»It’s Draco. He is here. Tell father and mother!« I said. Maybe the guard was not looking close enough. But the concern in his eyes was only growing.

»The prince is here? Where?« he asked, looking around.

»Right…here?« I said hesitantly, though it sounded more like a question. I pointed to Draco who was still laying beside me. The guard looked at me sadly.

»I am sorry, your highness, but I do not see him.« he said.

»It’s true. Only you can see me, Prech.« Draco said. The guard showed no sign of having heard him. So it must be true.

»Leave me alone, please.« I told the guard quietly, to which he just nodded and walked away again. I turned my look to Draco.

»Why can only I see you?« I asked him, already fearing what the answer would be.

»Because you wanted to see me more than anybody else.« he said. I went pale and tears started flowing again.

»So you are not real? You are a ghost?« I asked and Draco looked away.

»Neither actually. I am what is left of the Draco you knew and I am here to apologize to you. I’m glad you made it out of the fire, even though I did not.« he smiled sadly.

»Apologize for what? For dying!? It was not your fault. You were murdered.«

»Yeah. And whoever did it got away.«

»Do not worry, we will find the culprit and execute them! I saw them running out of the building and Celestia said it was a Caspana. We search after him already. Once we have him, we can avenge you.«

»I do not want to be avenged, Prech. Please do not kill any innocent people. You are after the wrong one.«

»What? But I saw-«

»Not the murderer. The Caspana you seek is a child. An innocent one that is.«

»That cannot be. Celestia did her research and said that the culprit was a Caspana.«

»She had no other choice. The real murderer has disappeared without a trace. Prech, please promise me something: Do not let anyone be killed because you suspect them to be my murderer. I think the reason I am still _here_ is, because the real culprit got away and I cannot find closure with it. Please find them. And do not tell anyone that I told you that. They would think you to be crazy.«

I was confused. So, someone else than a Caspana had killed Draco and he wanted me to find this murderer? It sounded logical. And it sounded so much like him to want that. But he was also right. If I would tell anyone that I spoke to his ghost, they would question my qualities as a trustworthy individual.

»I think I can try that. You know though that father not always listens to me and if he decides to hang a suspect…«

»Try to prevent it. I know you can convince him.«

»Why don’t you go to him yourself and tell him that?«

»Because only you can see me. After all, we are twins, Prech. Even though we have always denied it, we do have a special connection. And I don’t know what I would say if I would see father or mother now. I always know what to say to you though.« he smiled again, though his smile quickly faded as he looked at me. He then laid his head on my back and sighed.

»I will miss you.« he said quietly.

»And I already miss you.« I replied sadly.

»This is a very pretty dress by the way. Where did you get it from? I thought your clothes were burned.«

»This one was in the process of being cleaned when the fire broke out. It’s one of the only ones left.« I said, surprised that he wanted to talk about my _dress_. He hated to talk about clothing usually.

»I always liked the phoenix stitching on that one.« he admitted and cracked a smile.

»Me too.« I said and looked down on the red bird. My view then fell on the necklace. »By the way, mother gave me this necklace from the treasury. She said it is something that was passed down in her family since Safiya. It maybe is made of a dragon’s ruby.« I said proudly.

»Safiya?« Draco said, though it was more an expression of surprise than a question. I had not expected him to react more to the origin of the necklace than the story of it being from a dragon.

»Yes. Mother’s great-grandmother and our great-great-grandmother.«

»I know who she is but…where did she get it from?« Draco asked, now sounding like he had found out something important.

»Mother does not know. She says nobody knows.«

»Can I see it real quick?« he asked, though it was not a question as he slid it off my neck with magic almost at the same time. He turned it around in the air, looking at it from every angle.

»It’s perfect.« he eventually said.

»Well, there certainly are more beautiful necklaces in the treasury but-«

»I mean for spells. It must really be made of a dragon’s jewel, I can feel it.«

»How can you tell?«

»Let’s just say that I can do quite a lot of neat things since I died.«

»Don’t make it sound like dying was some sort of gift!« I yelled in anger, to which Draco flinched.

»Sorry, I did not mean it like that.« he said and bit his lip nervously. »But still. This necklace could be very useful to me. Can I have it?«

»No. Mother lend it to me for only today. She will be angry if I do not return it.«

»Then just say that a magpie snatched it from you or something like that.«

»Draco, you are dead. How are you supposed to take it with you anyway?« I asked. This conversation, as unreal as it was from the beginning already, was going in a direction I had not predicted. My brother, or rather his ghost, slid the necklace around his neck and it did not fall through him or anything like I had expected. If I would not know better, I would say that he was alive.

»Like this.« he replied with a grin and stood up. I also stood up. A movement that caused the empty dinner plate to fall into the water. I did not care though.

»Please don’t go yet! Can’t you stay?« I asked desperately. He gave me a weak smile.

»I don’t want to leave you Prech, trust me. But I have to.«

»Without you I have nobody!« I cried. He could not leave me _again_.

»That’s not true. In fact, I know at least one person who honestly cares about you almost as much as I do.« I blinked in confusion because no one except our parents came to mind.

»Our parents?«

»Yes, they too. But I actually meant Rylon. If you would try to become friends with him, you might have someone again who you can lean on when things get hard.«

»But he’s…just a normal boy.«

»And I was the prince and future king of Koruna. We still managed to be best friends.«

»I’m not like you, Draco. I do not sneak out into the city to meet normal people.« I argued, though a bit of regret swung with my voice. Draco noticed it.

»But you want to, admit it. If you are _that_ scared of getting caught though, then why don’t you just offer him a place in the young trainee school? Did you know that he dreams of becoming a soldier? He is pretty serious about that.«

I pondered that. Technically I could ask father. The reasoning that he was Draco’s best friend would probably convince him enough already. And it was not like Rylon was one of those horrible stalkers. He was nice. He was in no way a replacement for Draco, but maybe he could still become someone similarly important to me. If there had ever been a time where I needed a friend it was now. After all, my _dead_ brother was telling me to give this friendship a chance. I probably should listen to it as if it would be his dying wish. Maybe it even was.

»I can try.« I eventually said with a sad smile.

»That’s good. You’re very smart, Prech. Even smarter than I ever was. So, if you want to achieve something but think it to be impossible, then think twice. I’m sure you can achieve everything you want if you just set your mind to it.«

»You really know me well.«

»I’m your twin. I know you better than you know yourself.« he replied and then have a sad smile.

»I’ll miss you, Prech. Please become an even greater person. You have it in you.«

»Wait!« I yelled, but Draco walked away while I ran into an invisible wall. He turned around only once to smile at me.

»Don’t worry, I promise to come back eventually.«

»When?«

»I don’t know, but I promise that I will come back. Just don’t die before that happens, okay?« he grinned and then just…disappeared. He faded and was gone in an instant, leaving only the silent garden behind. The invisible wall broke and I stumbled forward to the place he had last been. But there was nothing there. No scent or anything that would prove that he had ever stood there.

 _Has that been a dream?_ I asked myself, but when I looked down I noticed the lack of the ruby necklace. It also was not on the bridge or anywhere else. Draco had taken it with him.

 _He was there after all._ I thought and sighed while tears streamed down my face again. It had been so incredible to have been able to talk to him again, even though it had only been brief. He had left me with more questions than before though and I missed him even more now. Still, I knew what to do now, all thanks to him. The hole inside me had grown a little smaller.


	8. Trickster

** Chapter 7 **

* * *

**Trickster**

_24 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Draco_ **

»So, kid, I guess that was everything.« Terence said as we left a shop that sold all kinds of stuff and in which Terence had bought something that looked like a pendulum. I was still skeptical if it would serve any purpose at all or if Terence just really wanted to own it, but he had assured me that we would need it sooner or later.

»This means we'll leave now?« I asked, sad and excited at the same time.

»I guess that's what it means, yes.« Terence said. I was not sure, but I could have sworn that I heard sadness out of his voice. So he also was sad about leaving Monabur, not just me.

»But what about a gemstone? Maybe a necklace? We have enough money for that, right?« I asked, when I suddenly remembered one of my magic lessons. Strong spells could be stores in precious gemstones, especially invisibility spells or illusion spells. I would need both to get out of the city, Terence and I had talked about it often enough today.

»Why the hell would you need a _necklace_? You are way more demanding than any girl I ever dated.« Terence asked, though he muttered the last bit, thinking I would not hear it. I made a face to show him that he had understood me wrong.

»I meant for enchantments.« I clarified which drew an expression of understanding on Terence's face.

»Smart kid, but we don't have enough money for something like this. Enchantment stones are expensive as hell. Way more than the thousand Vend we have left and trust me: We are going to need every single coin of it!«

I sighed in disappointment. A necklace would have been great. I would have been able to lay all the spells on it so I would not have to concentrate on them the whole time while casting them. It was for security so to say. I looked up at the sky, as if the endless blues would give me an answer to my dilemma. A glimmer caught me eye and I turned my head to see the white and golden spheres of the palace loom up above even the highest building. Even in its half burnt state it was still an impressive sight. And suddenly, an idea struck me after all. I grinned.

»So we need a gemstone worth millions of Vend, right?«

»Probably. I guess you know mathematics well enough to know that this is out of our league.« Terence deadpanned.

»Out of _our_ league maybe, but not out of _my family's_ league.«

»Kid, I know where that thought of you goes and I do not like it.« Terence scolded me, but I just shook my head.

»Doesn't matter. It would not even be _stealing_ anyway. And let's be honest: If I could sneak out of there hundreds of times, then I can also sneak in there. Especially now.«

»I just want to make clear that I am not supporting this reckless plan of yours.« Terence said, still unconvinced.

»Duly noted. Then just stay here.« I said, already trotting into the direction of the palace. Terence followed me.

»You're insane, kid.« he muttered. »And I'll wait for you at the castle's wall.«

 

……………………………………..

 

I had actually planned to sneak my way into the castle very sneakily with an invisibility spell through the front gates, but had eventually dismissed it again since it really was a little _too_ risky. Therefore the plan now was to get into the palace's garden. The answer to _how_ was kinda obvious: over the garden's wall. But when I stood before it, it seemed more enormous than ever before.

»This is a bad idea, kid.« Terence said again. My idea to sneak into the royal treasury was indeed very risky. But as long as I had these strong magic powers I would be able to sneak past all guards and get in there, right? I already felt what Celestia and Terence had predicted though: I was getting weaker. Or more accurately: I was slowly losing those divine powers and reverted back to a _normal_ level. The truth is that the weaker I became, the more trouble I would have to keep my identity a secret. And it _had to_ stay a secret! If I stored a strong spell in a gemstone, I could use it even when my power were faded. It hopefully would hold long enough though.

»I don't care, Terence. I at least have to _try_.« I said and closed my eyes while taking a deep breath. This _wishing for power_ concept was still new to me and so I tried to be as accurate as possible with my wish.

 _Bring me over the wall and don't let me be seen by the guards or servants._ I asked the air and light. Suddenly I was lifted up and pretty much _thrown_ over the wall. I landed in a bunch of plants and cursed slightly. This had yet been the most uncomfortable sneaking-in-plan I had ever had. When I got to my hooves I was startled by a voice.

»You have no permission to be here. Leave before I call the guards!«

I froze. It was Prech. I had not seen her since the fire and it was kind of soothing to see my sister again. It had been three days and I already had missed her. Either way, the tone of her voice made me flinch. In contrary to my usual escapades I now was trespassing on castle grounds. It was still new to me that I was technically not considered royalty, let alone part of the royal family, anymore. I regained my composure eventually though and replied how a normal citizen would reply. At least how I thought they would reply.

»My apologies, princess. I did not mean to insult your solitude.« I could not keep the sarcasm out of my voice. Speaking to Prech like this was one big irony and I just could not stay serious.

»Leave. Now.« she said strictly, to which I looked to the side. In this situation she was in the right and I was in the wrong...like so very often actually. I needed to find a very good counter now so that she would not really call the guards and get me arrested.

»Actually I am here to see you. I’m sorry about what happened to your brother.« I therefore said, since I _really_ was sorry about it. In a way I was sorry for myself too. This situation was just so complicated and I wanted to comfort my sister. It hurt to see her so sad.

»I do not need your pity!« she seethed and I could see tears in her eyes. Oh no. She _never_ cried and I had only ever made her cry once. Frantically I searched in my head how I had comforted her back then, but couldn't think of anything. Had I even comforted her? It had been so long ago...

Then I thought of what Prech always told me: that she needed to hold up her strong attitude to not be further ridiculed. This was also why she did not cry. It was seen as a weakness.

»You can cry if you feel like it. I won’t judge you if you do.« I therefore said, trying to not make her feel bad or shameful.

»That would be quite a miserable sight though. I am seen weak enough already as a _princess_. Crying would only make it worse.« she sniffled, now clearly crying. I could not take it anymore. I walked up to her and lied down beside her on the bridge. She did not even flinch, which was a huge relief, because this was the only way I knew how to comfort her.

»Since when is mourning someone you love a weakness?« I asked and felt weird for doing so. Speaking about my own death was something I yet had to get used to. But still it was the truth for Prech and so she mourned. More than anything else I just wanted to drop this illusion spell and show her who I really was. I wanted her to be happy again.

»Since forever. A leader of a country has to stay strong.« she replied immediately. An answer I had already expected. After all, she rarely talked about anything else than her reputation and superiority. When I was about to comment on it, my stomach protested against the lack of food today with a loud rumble. I grinned a little shamefully at that.

»Sorry, have not eaten anything for a while.« I admitted. To be honest it had been since this breakfast. And since the sun was setting now and since I had been walking around all day with heavy bags on my back, I had grown _very_ hungry.

»You can have this. I am not hungry.« Prech said and pushed a plate over to me on which laid what I presumed was her dinner. I did not even question why she had not touched it or why she had brought it with her to the garden in the first place.

»Thank you so much!« I said and dug in. It was cold by now, so I called out to my magic to warm it up again. My wish was granted and I gladly consumed the now steaming food. I would not eat anything so delicious for a while I guess, so I savored the flavor of every single bite. When I swallowed the last bite I licked my lips. This certainly had been delicious. Instead of saying _thank you_ , since I had said that already, I looked at Prech with guilty curiosity.

»Do you miss your brother?« I asked, which seemed to catch her by surprise, yet she almost immediately replied.

»Yes. I’m nothing without him.« she said. I rolled my eyes a little since this was the usual sulky Prech I knew from the few occasions she had been sulky in her life. Seemingly a serious pep talk was needed here.

»That’s not true. You are smart, pretty, princess-like and know how to handle problems almost immediately. That’s very admirable if you ask me.« 

»Thanks, but I can never be myself in front of others.« She really wanted to hear compliments today apparently. But since she was in a horribly difficult situation I did not judge. After all, everyone liked to hear something nice.

»You are yourself now.« I said and then hesitated, thinking about what I was going to say next. »This is nothing bad. You are wonderful when you are yourself.«

This however seemed to have made her suspicious of me. Very suspicious.

»For someone who does not even know me, you know quite much about me.« she said. I thought for a moment. Either I would keep up the act of the random stranger who had managed to jump over the garden wall, or I would tell her who I was, but with a slight twist to it. Celestia had told me what would happen if my family knew, after all. I did not want to make Prech more anxious than she was already about everything that has happened.

»I am very bad at acting, aren’t I? Even though this was not even half as bad as usual.« I said and shook my head with a grin. I concentrated on my magic and wished for the illusion spell to drop only around my eyes, so that they would appear in their usual golden color. When I looked at Prech again, a look of recognition washed over her face.

»Drop your disguise.« she demanded with a soft shivering voice. I was not really sure if that was a good idea after all, but since she already had a suspicion, I could not really make things much worse, right?

»Sorry in advance.« I said before I completely dissolved the illusion spell. Prech stared at me, her expression being a mixture of shock, relief and confusion. Her eyes started to shimmer again and tears eventually flowed down her face once more. She touched my foreleg with her own as if to test it was real and that she was not imagining things. I couldn't blame her.

»Draco?« she asked, as if she could not quite believe what she saw.

»My big sister has to ask me who I am? Color me insulted.« I said with a grin, because I didn't know what to otherwise say. But I could see that it made her happy and that was all that mattered. She snuggled up me and now openly cried. I had never seen her cry like this before. I wrapped my neck around hers and softly nuzzled her ear in a siblingly manner, since I knew that it would calm her down.

»Princess, are you alright?« A voice suddenly said beside us and I raised my head in alarm. The guard did not seem to notice me though. My wish from earlier rang in my head again.

_Bring me over the wall and don't let me be seen by the guards or servants._

Good thing I had included that last part, because Prech had made me forget completely about my original plan. Apparently the guard did not see me at all, I was invisible to his senses. Prech seemed very confused though. I gave Prech a sad look, because I knew what conclusion she would draw from this.

»It’s Draco. He is here. Tell father and mother!« She sounded so desperate. Poor Prech.

»The prince is here? Where?« the guard asked.

»Right…here?« Prech said, though it now sounded very unsure and she threw me an anxious glance.

»I am sorry, your highness, but I do not see him.« the guard replied, sadness apparent in his look and voice. Everyone was sad about my death. It made me feel guilty. I had hurt so many people with my trickery disappearance.

»It’s true. Only you can see me, Prech.« I informed her, trying to not let the regret and sadness creep into my voice. Without success.

»Leave me alone, please.« Prech said sadly, to which the guard just nodded and left.

»Why can only I see you?« she asked anxiously. When she said it like that, it sounded like I was a ghost. Maybe I should just go with that idea. It would hopefully make all of this a little easier for her. I thought about what I knew of ghosts and with that tried to give an explanation that might not even be a lie.

»Because you wanted to see me more than anybody else.« The truth was actually that I had not thought of Prech when I had wished for the magic to make me invisible. On that note I asked myself how long this wishing tactic would still work. I should probably hurry to get in and out of the treasury because my powers would fade.

»So you are not real? You are a ghost?« Prech asked. I looked away because I could not look her into the eyes and seem honest. If she wanted to believe that, then I would let her believe it, but I would not let her catch me lying. Wait, I did not have to lie. I could just tell half of the truth!

»Neither actually. I am what is left of the Draco you knew and I am here to apologize to you. I’m glad you made it out of the fire, even though I did not.« The true part in this was that I had not made it out of the fire alive as a mortal. If I thought about it like that, I could even keep a straight face while saying it.

»Apologize for what? For dying!? It was not your fault. You were murdered.« Prech seemed quite worked up about it. Understandably. After all, she has claimed to see me getting murdered. If that was true, I was still afraid of who that was and if they would come back to kill me if they found out I was still alive.

»Yeah. And whoever did it got away.« I therefore said thoughtfully.

»Do not worry, we will find the culprit and execute them! I saw them running out of the building and Celestia said it was a Caspana. We search after him already. Once we have him, we can avenge you.« Great. A huge avenging hunt was set up against me. Now if that was not the happiest news of the day...

»I do not want to be avenged, Prech. Please do not kill any innocent people. You are after the wrong one.« If she would believe me, I could maybe improve the situation. I just hoped I could.

»What? But I saw-«

»Not the murderer. The Caspana you seek is a child. An innocent one that is.« Maybe I should not have mentioned that. As much as I knew Prech, she would eventually take apart every single word I said and draw her conclusions from it. But by the time that happened I would already be long gone.

»That cannot be. Celestia did her research and said that the culprit was a Caspana.« Prech argued.

»She had no other choice. The real murderer has disappeared without a trace. Prech, please promise me something: Do not let anyone be killed because you suspect them to be my murderer. I think the reason I am still _here_ is, because the real culprit got away and I cannot find closure with it. Please find them. And do not tell anyone that I told you that. They would think you to be crazy.« And here it was: My miserable try to improve the situation.

My sister looked confused, but I also thought to see acceptance in her eyes.

»I think I can try that. You know though that father not always listens to me and if he decides to hang a suspect…«

»Try to prevent it. I know you can convince him.«

»Why don’t you go to him yourself and tell him that?«

»Because only you can see me. After all, we are twins, Prech. Even though we have always denied it, we do have a special connection. And I don’t know what I would say if I would see father or mother now. I always know what to say to you though.« If anything was true, then this was. In contrary to everyone else, also Rylon, I always knew what to say when I talked to Preciosa. It was not just because we were twins, but because we spent so much time together. We kind of were forced to do so, but I did not mind. Or...had not minded.

»I will miss you.« I said truthfully. Not saying it would not bring anything and maybe it would comfort her to know it.

»And I already miss you.« she replied, as if I would already be gone. Well, for her I _was_ gone already after all. More than anything I wanted to change the topic, because otherwise I might say something stupid that would draw her to the conclusion that I was not really dead. Therefore I talked about the first thing that came to my mind.

»This is a very pretty dress by the way. Where did you get it from? I thought your clothes were burned.« I said, cursing myself in thoughts. As expected, Prech seemed surprised by _that_ change of topic but replied nonetheless.

»This one was in the process of being cleaned when the fire broke out. It’s one of the only ones left.« Okay, so far so good. Out of ideas I remarked the thing on the dress that first caught my eye and seemed to remember from previous times she had worn it.

»I always liked the phoenix stitching on that one.«

»Me too.« she said and looked to her neck, on which, as also expected, hung a necklace. A necklace with a big red jewel. I seemed to be in luck!

»By the way, mother gave me this necklace form the treasury. She said it is something that was passed down in her family since Safiya. It maybe is made of a dragon’s ruby.« she couldn't have sounded prouder if she had just slayed a dragon herself. Even though I was actually most interested in the necklace, a name still caught my attention.

»Safiya?« She was the one who had brought the curse into my family. Or better said, she was the first Caspana in the royal bloodline. At least if Celestia's and my research was correct.

»Yes. Mother’s great-grandmother and our great-great-grandmother.«

»I know who she is but…where did she get it from?« I quickly said. How would Safiya get a dragon's treasure? Maybe it had been this mysteriously missing father of hers who had gifted it to her. A fae creature that constantly had to hide with a necklace that could host powerful spells. It added up.

»Mother does not know. She says nobody knows.« As expected.

»Can I see it real quick?« I asked eagerly. This would save me a dangerous mission of breaking into the royal treasury and at the same time I managed to cheer Prech up and get a free meal out of the deal. If I would now be able to convince her to give me the necklace, next to nothing could go wrong. If the string of situations after my escape from the fire had not been, I would have believed that the curse would have also granted me good luck.

I took the necklace with my magic and regarded the ruby in detail. I also felt the magic in it pulsing with old spells that had not been lifted from it for a very long time. Maybe even a century. So my guess was probably correct.

»It’s perfect.« I said, as I was done with my examination.

»Well, there certainly are more beautiful necklaces in the treasury but-«

»I mean for spells. It must really be made of a dragon’s jewel, I can feel it.«

»How can you tell?«

»Let’s just say that I can do quite a lot of neat things since I died.« This was the wrong wording.

»Don’t make it sound like dying was some sort of gift!« I flinched at her outburst. In hindsight it really sounded very wrong.

»Sorry, I did not mean it like that.« I said and bit on my lip nervously. Another topic change was needed! »But still. This necklace could be very useful to me. Can I have it?«

 »No. Mother lend it to me for only today. She will be angry if I do not return it.« Well, shit.

»Then just say that a magpie snatched it from you or something like that.« I tried to convince her desperately. I really needed that necklace.

»Draco, you are dead. How are you supposed to take it with you anyway?« she asked to which I tried very hard to resist the urge to roll my eyes. I flipped the string of the necklace around my neck and let the chain with the heavy gem on it lay on my very much physical fur.

»Like this.« I said with a grin and stood up. After all, I had what I wanted and said to Prech what she needed to know. Actually I wanted to say a lot more to her, but nothing of it fit right now and I also did not have the time. The sun was setting and I still had to leave the city today.

Prech also stood up, throwing the empty dinner plate into the water while doing so.

»Please don’t go yet! Can’t you stay?« she asked with desperation. I could do nothing more than to give her a weak smile, since I actually also wanted to stay.

»I don’t want to leave you Prech, trust me. But I have to.« Time was running out.

»Without you I have nobody!« she cried.

»That’s not true. In fact, I know at least one person who honestly cares about you almost as much as I do.« At least it was worth a try. Rylon really needed comfort too and I would not be able to give it to him like I did to Prech just now.

»Our parents?« Sometimes she was awful at guessing.

»Yes, they too. But I actually meant Rylon. If you would try to become friends with him, you might have someone again who you can lean on when things get hard.«

»But he’s…just a normal boy.« Was she serious?

»And I was the prince and future king of Koruna. We still managed to be best friends.« The emphasis laid on _was_. A fact that filled me with a weird sense of joy. Not bearing the burden to be king anymore was actually very nice. That I would lose Rylon was something that sent a pain through my heart though.

»I’m not like you, Draco. I do not sneak out into the city to meet normal people.« ...She had a point there. Though I also heard regret in her voice. A hint of the secret wish to be like me after all and do what I did. We really were not that different from each other after all.

»But you want to, admit it. But if you are _that_ scared of getting caught, then why don’t you just offer him a place in the young trainee school? Did you know that he dreams of becoming a soldier? He is pretty serious about that.«

Preciosa thought about that for a while before she looked at me again and nodded with a sad smile.

»I can try.« she said.

»That’s good. You’re very smart, Prech. Even smarter than I ever was. So, if you want to achieve something but think it to be impossible, then think twice. I’m sure you can achieve everything you want if you just set your mind to it.« I was very aware of how cheesy and awkward that sounded, but farewells were always kind of cheesy and awkward after all. Plus she might take it as words of inspiration.

»You really know me well.« She had swallowed it. Good.

»I’m your twin. I know you better than you know yourself.« This, again, was true. And probably also vice versa.

»I’ll miss you, Prech. Please become an even greater person. You have it in you.« I hoped that she actually could still take me seriously, since I really meant that. But this was goodbye. I walked away, to which my sister reacted with panic.

»Wait!« she yelled and I pulled up an invisible wall at the last minute. She ran into it. If she would keep me from going away now, my situation would become very risky. After all, the sun was almost set. I turned around one last time to throw Preciosa a smile.

»Don’t worry, I promise to come back eventually.« Hopefully I would be able to keep that promise.

»When?«

»I don’t know, but I promise that I will come back. Just don’t die before that happens, okay?« Because if she would die, she would find out about what happened to me before I would be able to tell her in person and she would be the maddest mare in the world. To make sure that she did not see my miserable try to get back over the palace garden's wall, I made myself invisible. Prech now probably thought that the ghost of her dead brother had faded. To make my point clearer, I dissolved the invisible wall and walked to the garden wall. Prech immediately stumbled forward and searched where I last had stood, but I was not there anymore. She was crying again now and I felt so very sorry for her. Hopefully she would be able to cope with it eventually.

When I eventually managed to get over the wall again in the same manner as before, I landed on the hard cobblestone street instead of in considerably soft plants.

»Ouch! I hate my life!« I cursed angrily as soon as I was sure that only Terence was around to hear my muttered complains, and made myself visible again. Quickly I also threw a new illusion spell over myself since I had dissolved the last one and this time secured it in the necklace. I had no idea how it really worked, but it worked. I would probably learn it eventually when the nature forces would not answer to my wishes anymore.

»You're back quicker than I thought.« Terence said with surprise.

»You thought I'd get caught by the guards. Admit it!« I countered while I dusted off my new cloak as good as possible and took my saddlebags from Terence, who had kept an eye on them while I had been gone.

»Yes, I thought that. So how could you not get caught and be that fast?«

»I landed in the garden practically right in front of Prech. After I convinced her that I was the ghost of her dead brother, she willingly gave me this necklace, which is made out of a dragon-crafted gemstone. That was a lot easier than breaking into the treasury.« I explained.

Terence sighed. »At least you got your millions worth necklace. Are you happy now?«

I was about to say »very«, but then I thought of Prech and the excitement died in me.

»No. Prech was very sad and I don't like to see her sad.« I admitted and looked at the garden wall again.

»That was to be expected, but as I already told you: You cannot do anything about it. Alright, maybe you _have_ actually done something to help her back there. You simply cannot do more than that. So be happy with it.« Terence was right. I had said everything to her that I could have thought of saying and I had tried to make her less sad. I simply could not do more than that right now. I looked at Terence now with a questioning look.

 _What now?_ I did not have to say it out loud, since he by now knew what this look of me meant.

»We will go to my place now to rest for a bit. Then we’ll wander to the city gate. Going through the desert at night is not optimal, since we have to wander at day, but we will go as far as we can.«

I sighed. »Then we have no time to lose.«


	9. No More Prince of Monabur

** Chapter 8 **

* * *

**No More Prince of Monabur**

_25 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Draco_ **

Don’t go« I whispered, not sure why I was saying that. Before me was a plain flat room without walls. Technically it was just one giant floor so clean that it mirrored everything but yet not as clear as a real mirror, I could make out the difference between one and it. The sky was not clear, but blue anyways. Clouds hung in it, but something seemed wrong with it anyways. The light did not come from the sky, but from the whole horizon. Not in a reddish light like sunrise or sunset gave, but in a bright white light like in the middle of a day. It was not sure how I got here and I was afraid to be alone. I turned around to see nothing but my own reflection out of the corner of my eye. When I turned fully towards it I recognized that it was not me, but that it really was Prech. She stood in front of row of people I all recognized, some more than others. All of them were dresses in rich fabrics and wore expensive jewelry. They stood in a row like the front line of an army, just that there was no one behind them.

My family. It not only consisted of my parents, but also of my other alive relatives and my little cousin Scheherazade the second, princess of Belrador, next to her mother Soneera, my mother’s sister and therefore my aunt. These were, outside of my direct family, my closest relatives. On it went with more distant relatives from all corners of Koruna.

»Why are you all here?« I asked, unsure of what all of this meant. Nobody said anything but just stared at me. I was growing more insecure by the second. I hated to be the awkward center of attention. Then suddenly everyone in the row turned around and started walking away. They started talking to each other as if they were caught in an idle chatter over tea. Kings talked to their queens, princes and princesses talked to their relatives which were at the same time their friends, Soneera talked to little Scheherazade while her father smiled at both of them in silence. Also my parents walked away, talking as if nothing would have happened. They walked to the light, away from me, while I could not move. Only Prech stayed, though she had also turned around now, watching her family walk away from her, as if she longed to go with them.

»Don’t go.« I whispered again. This time it made sense. I wanted Prech to stay by my side. She did not look at me.

»You decided against your family, so you will be left behind.« All voices at once said in my head even though I had seen no one speaking them out loud. Suddenly Prech moved. She walked away from me, following our family while I still could not move.

»Don’t go!« I yelled in desperation, but it was as if everyone was deaf to the sound of my voice.

»You’re dead.« My sister’s voice said, but it was more the memory of her voice since she still had not said anything. She silently walked behind my family, slowly growing smaller as all of them moved.

I tried to move and succeeded in doing so this time. I started galloping after them, trying to catch up, but no matter what I tried I could not close the distance. It actually grew wider to more I tried. The light blinded me, but I did not care. I needed my family. I did not want to lose them.

»You are dead. You died for them.« An unfamiliar voice said. It was only moments later that it recognized it as my own voice. I wanted to reply, but I was too exhausted from trying to catch up to my family. It was like I was galloping in slow motion.

 _I did not want to die!_ I therefore argued in thoughts. The voice did not seem to mind if I would speak the words or think them, since it replied to my thoughts.

»No one wants to die. For them you are dead though.«

I did not want to reply to that. All that I could think about was my family who disappeared further and further into the light.

_Don’t go. Don’t go! DON’T GO!_

They did not hear my thoughts. They did not perceive my existence at all. All of them looked so happy in their own little family groups. They laughed and smiled while I was left behind.

And then there was only light and the endless floor left. I looked down at my reflection to see nothing but the sky. As if I remembered that I had to have a reflection as well, a shadow came into being. My reflection twisted itself until it looked almost like me. Only to turn black once again and look at me through fiery eyes with a cruel grin.

 _Don’t go._ I said while thinking of my family. I knew that I was not one of them anymore. I was not even a normal person anymore. I was a fae.

_Please take me back…Don’t go._

I dropped to the floor and cried my eyes out. They had all left me. I was all alone. I hated to be all alone. I was scared all alone.

»Don’t go.« I whispered one last time before I started sobbing again. Slowly I was starting to have a hard time breathing, choking on my own sobs and inhaling desperately. It was like the sphere around me was void of all air. I cried and coughed and choked. The grin on my reflection on the flow below me grew more cruel by any passing second. I knew it would kill me. I cast a last glance to the light. I saw my family again in the distance walking away.

_Don’t go._

The twisted shadow of myself bared its sharp teeth.

 _Don’t go…_ I begged while I felt like I was suffocating.

The shadow lunged out of the floor, no longer a reflection but a physical being. It tore me open with its sharp teeth. It did not eat me. It only seemed to be interested in tearing me apart bit by bit.

 _Help me._ I begged my family in the distance.

»They don’t know you are there. They think you to be dead. Why would they help you?« My voice taunted me. Now I knew that it came from the shadowy figure with the fiery eyes. My Caspana self.

 _Don’t go._ I pleaded one last time before I felt myself falling into an open space. I could not see where I was falling or from where I was falling. Everything was dark.

 

I raised my head abruptly in a panic and panted heavily. Fragments of the nightmare were still floating around in my head. Flashes of the bright light were momentarily blinding me in the dark room and I shook my head. It had all been a dream. But I felt like it meant more than just that.

When I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a glass I jumped back, since it was the one of the demon of my nightmare. It took me several seconds to realize that it was just me and that it was night and that I would look like that at night from now on. I frowned sadly.

_Don’t go._

That was the thing that had stuck with me. My family had left me. Not willingly and ignorant as in my dream, but with great sorrow. I did not know which of those two things was actually worse. Either way, in the end I was just a forgotten soul. Sure, they would remember me, but eventually my supposed death would be overshadowed by other things life gave. They would think of me less and less and I would become nothing else than a distant memory.

It hurt to think of it.

So far I had not thought much about anyone but my direct family and my friends, but now that I viewed the bigger picture, I actually had lost a lot more. I had lost a great loving family. I had lost any chance to ever be with them again. No matter what the supposed benefits were, this fact still hurt more than anything else.

I could act calm. I could be _that guy_ that had the insane idea to break into the royal treasury and steal a precious necklace. I was _that insane guy_ that succeeded with stealing it from the princess herself. I hid behind an illusion spell and sneaked past any guards. I was not recognized by anyone who searched for me.

But if you took all that aside, something very miserable, frightened and insecure was left. Someone without a family. Which begged the question: Was I an orphan now? I did not want to be an orphan. I had parents, both of them alive.

My own thoughts made me cry.

I laid my head down on the ground and tried to sleep. Sleep did not come.

It was then that I realized the most important thing. Something that I had actually already realized before, but it hit me with a finality to it that really hurt: I was not the prince of Monabur anymore.

This not only meant that I would never be king. It also meant that my family had moved an unreachable distance away from me. It meant I would not get to see Prech again and talk to her as her brother. It meant to not having to go to those boring classes again. I would miss them. It meant to never look down at the city from a tower of the palace just for fun again. It meant to never talk with any of my relatives again. It meant no more scoldings from mother about _proper manners_ and how I lacked them. It meant no more talks with father in the library when he had the time to spare. It meant no more festive garments for celebrations where I had been a guest of honor. It meant that not everyone I met knew me.

Even though I had disliked some of those things, I would still miss all of them. Because I had really lost my life. It would not be returned to me. I had lost my family and I would not get it back. Not now at least. But even if I would get it back someday, it would not be the same as before. The past was in the past, lost forever. Reduced to fond memories that made me tear up when thinking about them.

I looked at the sleeping form of Terence. He would not be able to replace my family, no matter what. Nothing could replace them. He was nice and could someday become someone important to me, maybe. But it would not be the same. Not the same at all.

 

I would never be the prince of Monabur again. The prince of Monabur was dead. Dead forever and always.


	10. Loss and Gain

** Chapter 9 **

* * *

**Loss and Gain**

_25 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

 

> ** _Terence_ **

When I woke up to the spell I have cast to pull me out of sleep, I found Drako already running around my house anxiously. He seemed pretty worked up about something, but I could not blame him. After all, he had lost his life, both literally and socially. To get used to a completely new one at his age was probably not easy, even under normal circumstances. I felt guilty because I knew that it would leave scars in one way or another on him. All I could do was to try to make those scars as faint as possible by supporting him through this whole hell.

»Drako, what’s wrong?« I asked, even though I already knew the answer. The colt stopped in his pacing, seemingly surprised that I was awake.

»Sorry, I did not mean to wake you up.« he said, but I just shook my head.

»You didn’t. It’s almost time to leave. That’s why I woke up.« I clarified, though it was hard to say those words. Leaving Monabur also was anything but easy for me, since I have lived in the city for so long.

Drako looked away sadly. »I don’t want to leave…« he mumbled, but I could hear that he also knew that it was necessary. I sighed.

»I don’t want to leave either. But there’s no way around it.« Drako looked even sadder now, if that was possible.

»You’re a smart kid, Drako. You know what’s going on and why we have to leave now.« He hesitated before looking at me again.

»The guards are chasing me and want to either lock me up in a dungeon or execute me if I get caught. My magic is getting weaker each day, so we have to leave now so that I can pass the city gate unnoticed. Also there are the most caravans on the move right now because of the Solstice Festival.« Drako said, as if it would be a mantra. I nodded.

»Exactly. Staying longer will not change anything but to make things more difficult. Trust me.«

He lowered his head. »I don’t want to leave my family and friends.« he said.

»Drako, come over here. I want to tell you a little story.« I said, to which the colt trotted over and lied down on the bed next to me.

»What kind of story?« he asked, obviously not understanding the sudden change of topic.

»An own experience of mine when I was your age. You see, my parents were wandering merchants, so I came around all of Mereldia. I went to the North Lands, to Eriwon, through the small towns in the middle lands and most especially through all of Koruna.«

Drako looked at me in awe.

»That must have been so awesome! I only ever got to see Monabur.« he said a little sulky. I chuckled.

»Yeah, I was kinda lucky. But eventually my parents decided to settle down in Monabur for a bit so that I could grow up as every other kid and go to school. I found school very interesting at first, but more leaned towards magic. I eventually got a scholarship through which I could go to the Magic Academy. But that is beside the point.

»What I actually want to tell you is the time where I still traveled around. Through it I learned to not set high emotional values to things like houses, furniture and similar stuff like that because I knew that I would have to eventually depart from it. When it came to making friends, I was not really good at fulfilling this rule. I have stopped counting how often I had to say goodbye, but it always was very hard. But let me tell you something no kid believes: You will get over it. Your friends will become good memories and if you someday return, you can build up a friendship with them again. And you _will_ find new friends. I promise you that.«

Drako thought about what I had said, for a long time.

»I can’t even say goodbye to them though.« he said and hung his head. I nudged him in a comforting manner.

»I more meant it as saying goodbye to them with your heart. It does not have to be personally.«

»But I don’t know how to do that. I never had to say goodbye to anyone for…forever actually.«

»It is not _forever_ , Drako. It’s just for a few years.«

»A few years _are_ forever for me…«

»The older you get, the quicker those years will pass, trust me.« It was not exactly the most comforting thing I could say, but the only thing that came to mind.

»Where are your parents now?« Drako suddenly asked, which caught me a little off guard. I shook my head.

»In Avalon, I hope. They died a few years ago.« I said and tried to not sound too sad. I had learned to cope with it after all. Drako, on the other hand, seemed shocked.

»Why are they dead?« he asked, clearly still unfamiliar to the concept of dead parents.

»They were not the youngest people anymore and all the wandering through Mereldia has worn on them. But they lived a happy life and died without regrets, so it is okay.«

»I’m sorry you have lost them.« Drako said, apparently being able to relate to my situation to a certain extent. I gave him a comforting smile.

»I’m not sad about it anymore, really. Sure, I miss them, but they had a good life and that makes me happy. And I promise you that I’ll make sure you have a good life as well and that the pain you feel right now will get less hurtful with time.«

Drako just nodded and then seemed to think about something for a while. Eventually he looked at me again.

»When will we go?« he asked.

»Right now. We have to leave before sunrise.« I said and stood up. Also Drako jumped to his hooves and immediately started pacing around again, just that this time he was searching through his backpacks to verify that he also had everything. I let him check the luggage while I went to the pantry to pack all food in it into a bag, along with a pot, a pan and a kitchen knife, that could, if needed, also serve other purposes than cooking.

»Here, eat that.« I said when Drako started pacing again and tossed him an apple. He seemed to have forgotten that he could catch it with magic, which resulted the apple to hit his head.

»Ow!« he complained and eventually picked the apple up. »Do you also have meat in that bag?« he then asked curiously while paying the apple no mind. I raised an eyebrow.

»Meat would quickly go bad, so we get it freshly if we really need it. But since it's kinda an expensive good, we won't see it for a while, I guess.«

Drako looked as if I would be crazy, but it could not be helped. He may be used to luxury food, but even with the money Celestia had given me I could barely afford the first rent of a small house in Nordberg. Spending even a Kerend on meat was therefore out of the question. Maybe I would be able to catch a rabbit or something and grill it once we were in the middle lands, but since my eyesight was off, the chances of this happening were slim. Drako would just have to learn to live without meat for a while. It wasn't like this was going to kill him. One could very well live of only bread, cheese and fruit for a while after all.

»Sorry kid, we don't have the money.« I added. Drako just sighed sadly and then ate his apple.

 

……………………………………..

 

»I hope this works.« Drako whispered as we walked through the empty streets of Monabur. Though empty in the slums of Monabur did not necessarily mean empty. Every shadow in every corner was a potential danger and one always had to be fully alert, even at day. Drako seemed to be more worried about the upcoming task of getting through the city gate than his current surroundings though.

»You and me both, kid.« I replied in a whisper while staying alert especially to sound. Ever since I lost my left eye, I did not trust my eyesight entirely anymore.

Since we were considerably close to the city gate already, Drako had laid the invisibility spell – however it worked, not even he knew that – on his necklace. Now all that was left was to pray to the gods that the spell would last long enough to get through the gate and a considerable amount of distance away from the city, so that nothing would seem suspicious.

»What will we do if it doesn’t work?« Drako asked anxiously after a while.

»Don’t think about that option. It _will_ work.« I replied, since I needed him to stay optimistic. One of the worst things a mage could do was doubting their abilities. More often than I liked to admit that had happened to me, resulting in a spell failing. And the last thing we needed now was Drako’s invisibility spell to fail.

 

We eventually arrived the city gate to a quite surprising sight. A long line of people stood in front of it, waiting to be let through while the guards checked each and every one of them thoroughly.

»No speaking now anymore, kid. Don’t give away your position.« I muttered so silently that only Drako could hear me. I could not see if he nodded or not, but I was sure he would do as I say. He was smart enough to know what stood on the line here.

The line of people moved nerve-rackingly slowly. I had never seen such a long line in front of the gate at this early hour. Most vendors left the city either in the evening or morning, but not in the middle of the night.

»Excuse me, ma’am. What is the hold-up here?« I asked a brown striped zebra lady in front of me.

»Personal search or something like that. The guards are paranoid that this murderer is among those who leave the city, so they search everyone to find out if they are a criminal or not. It has been like this for a few days already, so most got the idea to leave as early as possible to have a considerably small line in front of them. But it seems like I was not the only one to have that idea.« she replied and flicked her ears in irritation. »And that just to visit my son here! I swear, if they install this sort of security in Maroven, I will move to Wonsu, or some other nice city in Eriwon.« she ranted. I nodded in understanding.

»There sure are a few nice places in Eriwon, though they have their own weird traditions, so I recommend Wonsu. As Eriwon’s capital it’s more international than the rest of the country.«

»Thank you for the advice. I still hope that Maroven will remain more…calm. It’s a nice city. Not as loud as Monabur and not as dangerous as Santugan. A nice middle thing, so I like it there. My son moved here though to start training at the military school. He wants to be a royal guard, though he still is far from it.«

I bet that if Drako was not so focused on keeping his mouth shut, he would have left a remark there. I could almost feel his urge to say something.

»Not really my personal dream job. I studied at the Magic Academy here, but after an accident a few years back I’m not really of much use as a mage anymore.« I motioned to my eyepatch, which made the result of the _accident_ obvious. »In Nordberg they have a lot of use for even mages in training though, so I have a better chance of finding employment there.«

»But isn’t that too much of a change? Koruna and the North Lands are basically worlds apart. Both in climate and life style!« The zebra exclaimed. She seemed to be one of those who liked to ignore the existence of the North Lands and its rich cities. For her only Koruna and Eriwon existed in the range of possibilities. It was not rare to meet such people in Koruna. More often than not, they did not even recognize Eriwon as a possible place for them to live. They only knew Koruna and it was the country they would probably die in too. And then there was the other side of citizens who wanted nothing more but to go out and explore Mereldia. The obvious danger behind that wish kept them from it though.

»True, but I’ve been there before, so it won’t be much of a culture shock for me.« I replied and stifled a yawn. When I looked up I saw that the line was slowly getting shorter ahead of us and longer behind us. It would still take a while.

»At least you two have a place to go. I just got ‘tis wagon with my family ‘ere.« A voice said from behind us. It belonged to a middle aged wolf, who sat on the coach box of a wagon that was pulled by two witless bullocks.

»My parents were wandering merchants too. It’s not so bad in my opinion.« I said to him with a shrug.

»Depends on how well you do business. I got a wife and two kids to feed.« he threw back. I was not really interested to argue with him about selling techniques, even though I knew some good ones. The last thing a merchant wanted, was to hear advice from someone who did not share their occupation.

»I wish you good luck with that.« I just said honestly before turning around again. The zebra mare meanwhile had gotten into a conversation with a coyote mother and her three kids. I just decided to embrace the sudden silence and watch the guards do the personal searches. I only noticed it after a while, but apart from searching through bags, cloaks and wagons, the guards also held a shimmering piece of metal to each person. Something that confused most people, since it did never show any visible result. Most people in line still looked nervous though, since they did not know what the guards exactly searched for and therefore fearing they could accidentally own the object that would lead to their imprisonment. Especially merchants were visibly at unease with the situation, though none of them got stopped. I was about to look behind me to see how long the line had gotten, when a shout snapped my attention forward again, as did everyone else’s.

»I said: Do not touch me with that cursed metal! Search my things if you want, but keep that thing away from me!« An old goat said.

»Ma’am, we are ordered to check every person with the iron. If you don’t cooperate, we have to remand you in custody.« a wolf guard, who clearly was anything but amused by the arguing old goat lady, said through gritted teeth.

»I refuse! Iron brings misfortune and I refuse to take that risk!« the goat argued while some people in the line groaned in annoyance.

»She is holding up the whole line, honestly!« someone behind me argued in a very bitchy sounding voice. I didn’t turn around to see who it was for my attention was still on the goat. I had never heard about iron being a bringer of misfortune. Then again, there were many weird superstitions in the world. Still it sounded more like an excuse than a genuine fear to me.

»There is no time for this nonsense.« the guard said through gritted teeth and forced the iron poker to connect with the goat’s fur. While she jumped back, she still could not avoid the contact. A hissing sound occurred, followed by painful scream of the old goat. The guards stared at her in shock for a second before reacting fast and keeping her where she was, while wrapping chains around her legs and a metal ring around her mouth. Both seemed to be made out of iron, since her skin hissed under the touch of the metal and her screams were muffled by the iron ring around her mouth. The guards pulled her to the side where another guard dragged her away.

The whole line had fallen silent and watched the goat being dragged away. Most were in shock, while others seemed nothing but utterly confused. Only few were in fear, though their fear was regarded to the goat and not the guards. When I felt a shivering figure press against my side I knew that there was at least one person in this line afraid of the guards. I could not even reach down to give Drako a comforting nuzzle, but still tried my best to silently calm him down. I now didn’t pray but _begged_ to the gods to let the invisibility spell hold for long enough. Drako would be sold out in a second and taken away without me being able to do anything. And not only that. Judging by the screams of the goat, that were still clearly audible, iron burned worse than acid for fae. Letting Drako even get _near_ the metal was clearly out of the question. I would not let him be tortured.

»Do you think that was the one they were searching for?« the zebra asked the coyote in front of her.

»I don't know. I heard they search for an equine and the goat is no equine.« The coyote answered.

»They search for fae. Their skin is extremely sensitive to iron.« I cut in to clear their confusion.

»Are they another race of demon?!« The zebra asked in shock. Of course she would only know of demons. People from Koruna knew about little else that was dangerous to them. Not that demons would generally be nice creatures, but the ones living in the cities usually made for an exception. Ironically it were usually those which the people here despised the most. Talking about prejudices.

»Demons are demons and fae are fae. I just don't get why they are also searching for ones that are not equine.«

»Probably some weird equality thing. Acting as if other races would be just the same as equines, though we all know what really is the case here! Or they think the murderer had allies that were not equine.« the wolf cut in, seeming quite displeased by the scene.

»None of the guards there is equine. It's probably the latter.« I said and rolled my eyes. The wolf was clearly out for confrontation, but that's just how it was here. Equines were seen as the highest race in social standing, pegasi even slightly above them in that sense, while all other races came after them. It had something to do with the fact that Monabur, and in that sense also Koruna, was founded by horses. While the division was generally denied, it still was obvious in most cases. Prejudices and racism were common things.

In any case, I was not planning to get on that wolf's nerves with replying, since it was obvious which side he belonged to.

I heard a slight growl beside me and quickly made a step, putting my hoof down with more force than necessary to shut Drako up. It worked. Apparently he seemed to be quite pissed about what the wolf had said. But whatever his problem was, it would have to wait until later. Now the main problem still laid ahead of us: the gate.

The line had started moving again, resulting in there only being three people, when you counted the coyote family as one, in front of us.

»Excuse me, but this is taking _way_ too long. I demand to be let through at once!« the bitchy sounding voice from before piped up. Shortly after I saw a white coated mare in a very expensive looking dress striding her way to the front next to the line. It was obvious that she was of the high society. The wolf behind me growled, but did not dare to say anything, probably because he thought an argument would keep up the line further.

»Ma'am, please get back in line and wait for your turn.« a desert lynx guard said. The mare raised her head in a superior and insulted fashion.

»Excuse me, but I am Lady Fidella. I hold the 251th place in the succession to the throne. Do I not have rights?«

Again I heard Drako growl beside me and again I silenced him with a little stomp on the ground. I could relate to his anger though. I also hated people like this mare who thought they deserved extra treatment only due to the fact they were related to important people.

»Your right is to get through this gate and for this you have to wait in line until it is your turn. No extra treatment, no matter your standing.« The lynx said with a growl.

»How dare you! I am superior to you lowlifes! I fare with the most noble people, while _you_ are here checking stinking pheasants for being criminals. Since I am clearly not a criminal, I demand to be let through the gate. I need to get back to Waria as soon as possible since I have an appointment with Lord Goffrey in five days!«

I was now immensely worried about Drako's emotional state. He was not growling anymore luckily, but I could feel him shaking with anger.

»Get back in line or I will report you for insulting a royal guard on duty.«

»You _threaten_ me!? Do you know how many lawyers I know who would rather get _you_ into prison?«

»Get back into the line. This is my last warning.« the desert lynx said. I had to give him credit for holding his ground. I would have set that _lady'_ s mane on fire long ago already. Unluckily, Drako seemed to have a similar idea.

»Ma'am, your dress is on fire!« the zebra lady in front of me suddenly shrieked and I gave the _empty_ space next to me a strict look.

»She deserves it.« Drako whispered quietly and his anger was apparent in his voice. But there was also something cold and uncaring in it as well, which made me worry. To his luck, the panic, the burning dress of the noble lady had caused, was loud enough to let no one notice the air speaking. I just shook my head and looked away.

While one of the guards used some water magic to put out the fire, the noble mare shrieked in panic and threw various threats at every single one of the guards and the people still waiting in line. The now lonely wolf guard at the gate kept checking a group of camels as if nothing would have happened while the other guards tried their best to calm the mare down and get her back into the line. All her threats did not bring her anything, since in the end, she was shoved back into line behind the wolf and his wagon while the family of coyotes were checked. The mother tried to calm down her children, who were afraid of the iron, after seeing what had happened to the goat. None of them were fae though, so they could pass without a problem.

The zebra before us merely had to explain an enchanted hourglass to the guards which she claimed to have bought on the Solstice market as a present for her husband back in Maroven. After checking the item thoroughly, the guard let her through and it was my turn.

»Please take off your bags.« the wolf guard said and I did so without hesitation. I hoped that Drako meanwhile did what I had told him to do: wait for a good opportunity to walk through the gate unnoticed. Since he was invisible, this was not much of a problem for him. The only problem was that I could not see him walk through, so I'd have to wait outside for a life sign of him.

The guard searched through my stuff, lingering on some objects longer than on others, while another searched the cloak I was wearing for any hidden pockets with possibly dangerous or illegal objects in them. Of course they found nothing.

»Seems like you prepped for a long journey. Is that what this knife is for?« the wolf asked. I nodded.

»When you go to Nordberg you at least have to have one weapon on you. It's mainly for cooking though.« I said. The wolf nodded and put the knife back into its sheath and back into my beg. After all he could not suspect everyone who carried a knife with them, which was basically everyone these days, to be a criminal.

At last, the guard tested me with the iron poker, which got no result. I could see him breathe a slight breath of relief. No fae in this case was better than a fae. One was probably enough for one night.

»You may pass.« he wolf said as he gave me back my bags. I nodded in thanks and walked through the gate. Outside I was met with a gentle breeze that blew over the scent of grilled flesh to me. I looked to the side to see a caravan of camels waiting at the city wall, using the time they still had until dawn to get something to eat. I bit my lip. I knew that a caravan was pretty much needed to get through the desert, but with Drako I could not really risk it. I also saw the coyote with her children and the zebra lady stand by the group, apparently buying themselves a place into the caravan to bring them safely to their destinations.

I looked around further but of course could not spot Drako. Not until something touched against my blind side. I turned my head to see no one.

»I got through.« I heard Drako whisper.

»Good job, kid. Now keep that up for a while and follow me.« I whispered back and started walking. The first part out of Monabur was easy since it was lead by a several kilometers long path that was indicated by enchanted lanterns. They were called that, though it were not the lanterns themselves that were enchanted but the crystals in them that gave them the light instead of a usual flame. This also resulted them to glow in a blue light instead of golden.

I counted the lanterns as we passed them by, each of them twenty five meters distant from each other. When we had passed over fifty of them and therefore were over a kilometer distant from the city wall I considered it safe enough.

»You can lift that spell of yours now, I think.« I said, not in a whisper anymore to which Drako answered with a sigh of relief. A few moments later he was visible again. Still he wore an illusion spell, letting him look like a normal black coated colt with amber eyes.

»Why are the lanterns blue?« was the first thing he asked. Apparently he was almost bursting with questions. I chuckled at his excitement and was glad that his anger from earlier seems to have washed off again.

»There are crystals inside that were enchanted to glow. This way they last longer and there must not always be someone to come out here and light every single lantern. The spell just needs to be renewed twice a week.«

»Why are there lanterns anyway? I thought the sand would shift. So shouldn't the lanterns be buried in sand?«

»Good question. I can't explain it in detail, but basically the wind here usually blows east, so the sand would only be pushed into the direction we are going in right now. And when all the sand is blown away, you are left with a rocky ground like this one.«

»I don't get it. Wouldn't the sand be stopped by the posts or something?«

»I'm no expert on this, kid. Once we're in Nordberg you can find yourself a book in the library to research that if it interests you.«

Drako nodded and then was silent for a while and once stopped to inspect one of the lanterns in detail, trying to see the crystal inside.

»What was that all about earlier with setting that lady's dress on fire by the way? Once we have a house in Nordberg you're grounded for this.« I said, not knowing if that was the right thing to do.

Drako looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

»Are you _kidding_ me? She deserved it! She was asking for extra rights only because she is very distantly related to _my_ family! I am number _one_ instead of two hundred whatever, in the succession to the throne and also I had to wait! Because of such people, everyone thinks my family to be horribly stuck up!«

I gave him a sympathetic smile since I could kinda see where he was coming from. Setting someone's dress on fire still as not the appropriate way to handle it.

»I still don't want to see you set someone's clothes or something else on them on fire again. Got it?« I said. Drako just grumbled something that could either be an agreement or a protest.

»By the way, where did all that growling come from anyways?«

»What?«

»You growled twice back there.«

»I was just angry.«

»Where'd you get the habit from? I'll guess it's not something a prince learns normally.« I joked.

»Actually I never did that.« Drako said more quietly.

»Then we will note it down as another mystery about you.« I said and got out a notebook and a pencil from my cloak, noting down _»growls when angry«_.

»Why do you write that down? It's not important!« Drako argued, seemingly being embarrassed about that growling-thing. I sighed.

»Look, Drako. Neither I nor you know exactly what will happen to you now. I need to write down everything that is out of the usual to compare it to things we know about fae.«

»And what does that bring? I'm like that no matter if you write it down or not.«

»True, but then we might at least know what we are up against. Just imagine your condition being something like a sickness and we need to find a cure.«

Drako stayed silent. Apparently he did not like the comparison with an illness. Frankly it was not really a nice thing to compare his condition with after all.

»Let me reword that: There are different sorts of behavior that could come with the curse. The more different you become from a normal person, the harder it will get for you to fit in with the normal society. When you do not even realize your behavior to be different, then we need to actively work on you to recognize that and change it, so that something like what happened to that goat earlier won't happen to you.«

»I get it.« Drako said quietly and looked back at the empty path behind us. »Do you think the goat is alright? She was scared to get caught and then she got caught.«

»I don't know. The iron seems to have hurt.«

»She talked to me in thoughts. She wanted that I helped her since I was fae too. She noticed that I was there. I was so afraid that she noticed me so that I could not help her.«

»It's not your fault she got caught Drako.«

»It is! Just because of me this whole fae-hunt was started in the first place.«

»Don't blame it on yourself. If you want someone to blame at all, then blame it on the one who killed you.«

Again, Drako did not reply. The silence grew while the lanterns passed by, one by one. We walked almost a full kilometer until Drako spoke up again.

»Terence, are all fae really the bad guys?«

A hard question. A very very hard question.

»Not all of them. There are black sheep everywhere, so I'm sure that there's a fae who is a bad guy out there. You, however, are not one of the bad guys. Some people have trouble with understanding such things though when they have made bad experiences or have been told otherwise. To prevent misunderstandings you should not tell anyone what you are.«

»But what if I become a bad guy? Everyone says that Caspanas are bad and evil. What if I become evil and-«

»We are not talking about › _what if_ ‹s. We are only talking about the present from now on and presently you are anything but evil. We'll focus on keeping it this way, no matter what, alright?«

»Alright, but...can I really stay _normal_?«

»Of course you can. I will make sure of that!« I said as confidently as possible, even though I had no idea if I could keep that promise.


	11. The Caravan

** Chapter 10 **

* * *

**The Caravan**

_25 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

> ** _Drako_ **

Walking through the desert was a lot less exciting than most people made it out to be. Actually, it was very boring. Once the lanterns stopped to go along the side of the road, the Korunian desert opened up in the sandy glory I had always seen it being pictured in books. At first it had been amazing to walk up the mountains of sand and to see it stretch to the horizon in many, many sand tails. It especially looked beautiful when the sun rose.

But now the sun was up, we had walked for a few hours and it had become just plain _boring_. Wherever you looked you saw the same golden sand and the same blue sky. Not even something like a dead tree was in sight. Apparently, this was why caravans were so important. It was next to impossible to know where exactly you were going without the stars above. All we could do was to look at the sun and occasionally a compass.

What _should_ have bothered me the most was the heat that was ever present, but actually it did not faze me at all. This was more than just weird, since I have always read in books that the heat was next to unbearable.

»Terence, do you want to note down that the heat does not bother me?« I asked, since I had eventually figured out that it was important to write those things down, no matter how embarrassing it was.

»Nah, that's probably just from your magic boost. Fire mages have less trouble with heat than others.«

»Really? So it's not because I’m fae?« I asked since I had not heard about that when I had been taught magic.

»Well, to handle fire you have to be able to bear with heat. It's not a significant higher level of coping, but enough to bring us a few kilometers further in the desert than others. Eventually we also have to rest.«

»Wait, _we_? Are you also a fire mage?« I asked to which Terence looked at me as if I had asked the most obvious thing ever.

»You figured that out _just now_?« he asked and I immediately gave him an embarrassed grin.

»I never heard anything about that heat-thing when I was taught magic though.«

»That's because most take it for granted or have gotten so used that they forget to mention it. It's as if you would have to explain to someone how fur feels like. It's such an everyday-thing that most teachers gloss over it.«

»That makes sense, I guess.« I said, thinking back to what I had been taught in magic so far and that I would now miss out on a whole lot without classes. It was probably the only class I was going to miss. Suddenly I was struck by an idea though. »Terence, do you think you can teach me fire magic? Please!« I asked in my most pleading voice.

»I can try. But be warned, since I have never tried to _teach_ magic to anyone before. I might not be good at it.«

»That doesn't matter. I'm good at learning.« I quickly said before Terence could talk himself out of it.

»Well, we'll have to see. But first let's deal with this forsaken desert. Once we're out of it I can try an impression of a magic tutor.«

»Why impression?«

»That was a joke, kid. I'll try my best, even though I never got to S-Class levels.«

»Do you think my magic is as strong as S-Class levels?« I asked excitedly. Those who wielded S-Class rated magic were powerful enough to become arena battle winners. Of course also intermediate mages fought there, but it were usually the S-Class mages that came out victorious. I have always wanted to be that strong.

»If I wouldn't know better, I'd say it's currently even stronger than that. SS-Class magic. Something horribly rare among us _normal_ mages, so better don't go all out on anyone. If anything, it will make people suspicious. I just hope that your magic potential will sink to at least an intermediate level, otherwise you would rather have to teach me.« Terence said and chuckled. I grinned. SS-Class sounded awesome. Though Terence was probably right and it could get me into serious trouble.

»Have you ever met an SS-Class mage before?«

»Except you, you mean? Nah. As I said, they are very rare. I just heard about them. I guess you'll get to know more about them when we're in Nordberg.«

»Why that? Are there SS-Class mages in Nordberg?«

»Nordberg is famous for their excellent magic schools. I would not be surprised if we'd sooner or later meet an SS-Class mage there.«

»That's so cool! Can I go to a Magic Academy too? Please!«

»Only if you get a scholarship.« _A what?_

»What is that?«

»It's a school thing. If you work hard on your grades in school and look promising, you can apply for a scholarship. Someone else will then pay the costs of the Magic Academy for you. I got one of those back in my days, so I guess you can do it too in a few years.«

»Why in a few years? I want one now!«

»Impatience never helped, kid. And they don't accept children at the Academy anyway, so you'll need to be a little older than you are now.«

»That's unfair!«

»Actually, that's quite good if you ask me. This way your magic gets to settle down first and we can start to get used to Nordberg. You'll need to be able to hide that you are fae and in that you will need some practice first. If you have that down, you can apply to the Academy with a scholarship. Sounds good?«

»Yeah.« I mumbled a little disappointed.

»Cheer up, kid and look ahead. You already can see the Growling Wall.« Terence said which made me raise my head.

»The _what_? How can a wall growl? And why is one in the middle of the desert anyway? Is there a house?« I asked and squinted my eyes to make something out in the distance, though I could only see something like a rock very faintly and blue at the horizon. Terence chuckled.

»It’s not a real wall, it’s just called like that. To put it simple, it is a huge stone structure that separates the _safe_ part around Monabur from the rest of the desert. Not physically, but behind the Growling Wall the desert will become much harsher and much more dangerous.«

»What about the growling part though? Does the wind blow through it weirdly that it sounds like a growl? I’ve read that there are stone structures at the sea near Waria where this happens. They sound like cries.« I have only read that book recently. Actually, I should have read a book about the political affaires between Monabur and Waria back then, but since the book was more a general guide than a solely political one, I have kept to the parts that described the city. The Crying Cliffs, as they were called, were one of the things that made Waria exist in the first place since wanderers were drawn there by the cries, or something like that. It had been only a short passage, but it was an interesting read anyway. Too bad we were not going to Waria. To see these cliffs would have been awesome.

»A very educated guess there, but no. It’s called like that because very often people get attacked by witless predators who roam beyond it. At least those without a caravan or those without the skills to protect themselves do. The growling is a metaphor for the predators, since most of them growl.«

»I liked my theory better. It sounded less scary.« I said and bit my lip. The prospect of getting killed by witless animals was not lifting my spirits at all.

»You know how to protect us though…right?« I added a little anxiously, since otherwise the land beyond the Growling Wall would be as dangerous to us as Monabur was to me. Even more so maybe, since in Monabur I would not immediately be killed…probably.

»More or less. I have to admit that I’m a little worried about that part since my eyesight is off. Maybe we’ll have to join a caravan after all.«

»And you are deciding that _now_? A little late, isn’t it?« I asked, mimicking Terence’s tone from earlier when I had asked him if he was a fire mage.

»No need to get sassy, kid. The Growling Wall is a popular resting spot. There might be a caravan there when we arrive and if not, then we’ll wait there for a couple of hours or days for one to arrive.«

»How much food do we have?« We would not last a few days if we had not enough to eat.

»Don’t worry, there’s an oasis at the Growling Wall, which is one reason why it is so popular. We’ll have plenty of water and food there while we wait. But chances are that we will not have to wait at all.«

»Ok, then if there is a caravan, can we just join them or is it more complicated?« I had never researched enough about caravans to know anything about them.

»Usually it’s a thing of negotiation. You have to pay a price per person, per day. How much that is depends on the caravan’s leader. Then there is also a general direction the caravan is traveling in. We want to get to Kerven, so we need to find a caravan that goes there. Since it is a very popular spot for vendors that come from the North Lands and since the Solstice Market just ended, there probably will be plenty such caravans.«

»Lucky us. Where is Kerven though? I never heard about it.«

»You haven’t? Then again, it’s more a village than it is a city. I imagine you have only heard of those so far, haven’t you? Anyway, Kerven is at the northern border of Koruna and lies just at the edge of the desert. It’s a stopping place for merchants and other people who want to travel to somewhere in Koruna and come from outside. Most are not used to the climate and therefore stay there for a bit to get used to the heat and to buy a desert cloak, since the warm ones they usually have are not fit for these temperatures.

»Kerven started with just a single tavern that was built for that sole purpose and it was followed by others and eventually even usual family houses and farms. In the last century it has developed into a real town, named after that first tavern, which now is the most expensive and noble one.«

»Why have I not heard about that yet? That sounds way more interesting than to learn how the political system in Belrador is different from the one in Monabur.« I said and stuck my tongue out.

»You’re more into history than into politics if I conclude that correctly.« Terence remarked with a slight grin. I snorted in agreement.

»Yes. Prech is interested in both though. Actually she is interested in _everything_ , even in magic.« I bit my lip. »Forget that last one, I shouldn’t have told you about that.« I added more quietly.

»Actually I’m very relieved about that. I never thought much about the rule that princesses should not learn magic. In Eriwon and Nordberg they do, so why shouldn’t it be like this in Koruna? This might be the wanderer in me speaking since I did not entirely grew up here, but I don’t see anything bad in it if that worries you.«

Terence was awesome.

»So far I’m the only one who thought that. Even Rylon and Ray kept talking about that it is good that she does not learn magic, which I found a little mean. I mean, Prech can be annoying sometimes because she always knows everything better, but she’s still my sister. I don’t like it when people speak badly of her.«

»You’re a very good brother, Drako.«

I gave Terence a weak smile.

»No, not really. I left her now, didn’t I?« I said sadly and threw a glance back, even though Monabur had disappeared behind the horizon long ago already. If one looked closely, only the spires of the palace were still visible. Distant but still gone. I would not return here for many years. How much would change in that time?

»If I got that that right, you helped her to get closure on the whole thing, so that she does not feel sad about it anymore. And you have no choice but to leave, so it’s not out of ill intent towards your sister.«

»That’s…actually true. I just hope she stays alright.«

»I’m sure she will.«

 

……………………………………..

 

Half. The. Day. It took us half the day to get to the Growling Wall. At first it had seemed to just be at the horizon, a few kilometers away. Just that it was more than just a few kilometers. At least thirty! Once we were there we both laid down. In contrary to me, Terence was a little exhausted. I, not so much. It was similar to when I had run several kilometers through the city in a matter of minutes and had not been exhausted. My magic was probably still too strong, which prevented my energy to drain. At least that was Terence’s theory.

The Growling Wall was actually more like a cliff in the middle of the desert, since it was too steep to be counted as just a normal rock. One could not climb up there, or at least I did not think so. Only with wings it would be possible to get to the top, which would lay in the clouds if there were any. Apart from its incredible height, the Growling Wall was also pretty wide. One kilometer at least. Further down I could see a group resting. Probably a caravan, just like Terence has predicted.

»Terence, there are people over there!« I said and jumped up again.

»Told ya.« he just said and enjoyed the cool shade, not paying the strangers any heed.

»But didn’t you say we should find a caravan?«

»Let me rest for at least a few minutes first, will you? And don’t wander off to them.«

I watched the caravan there for a few more moments before lying down next to Terence again.

»You said something about witless predators earlier. What kind of predators are that?« I asked to change the topic.

»Many kinds, but the most feared one are the raptors.«

»What are raptors?« I remembered to have heard the name before, but couldn’t place it.

Terence shook his head and sighed.

»Where to start? They are bird-like, but at the same time also have reptile features like solely sharp teeth and feathered, clawed arms instead of wings. The ones roaming here in the desert are a little smaller than an average horse, but slightly bigger than a colt like you. They hunt in packs and usually pick out the weakest member of a group, separate it from them and then take it down when it is alone and defenseless. For witless animals, they are unusually intelligent, so that they have worked out attack patterns and work as a team. To encounter a pack of raptors almost always means losses.«

»I don’t want to see raptors then.«

»No one wants that. Last time I saw some I lost my left eye and got these scars.« So that was where his injuries came from.

»Couldn’t you just strike them down with fire?« I asked, since he had said to be a fire mage.

»I could have, if I would’ve had magic left back then. I was very exhausted from just saving Celli’s ass from one of those old ruins which are to the peak full with traps. It was a mission and we had to retrieve something from in there. She was very good at avoiding those traps herself, but after a while I really had to watch her back so that she was not bitten by a poisonous sake, or crushed by a falling wall. We were on our way back from that when the raptors found us and attacked. Celli managed to fight them off in the end, but I still lost my eye.«

»I’m sorry about that.« I said quietly. I could not even start to imagine how horrible it was to lose an eye.

»Well, what can I say? At least Celli and Tali were safe in the end and I was not killed.«

»But you-«

»The trick is to think positive about such things, Drako. When you have it bad, just think that it could be much worse. That way you can be at least a bit happy about how things turned out.«

»I lost my life.« I countered with a frown.

»Socially and metaphorically, yes. And you exchanged your mortal body for the one of a fae. But you live. Your family lives. You are not hurt and get to see the world you would have otherwise only read about. You will get to learn magic at an Academy in Nordberg in a year or two and eventually you will come back to fix everything in this country and reunite with your family. At least this is the plan. Correct me if I am wrong, but this does sound better than you walking around Monabur and  being hunted.«

»You really can say something positive about _everything_ , can’t you?«

»Technically yes. The main point is to not think solely negative about your situation though.«

»Yeah, yeah, I get it.« I  said a little sulky. I hated to be lectured on my personal views.

»By the way, Drako. When we join a caravan later, please don’t tell them anything that would let you look suspicious.«

»For example?«

»Don’t tell them that you can do magic or that you’re sensitive to iron or that you can see at night. These sorts of things. And don’t talk about your family. Especially not about your sister.«

»Why shouldn’t I talk about my sister? No one has to know _who_ she is after all.«

»Remember back when we were ordering those cloaks at the boutique?«

»The one with the mute Raccardis and the nice camel lady?«

»Exactly that one. I said you’re my little cousin and that your parents are dead. What would happen if you would suddenly start to talk about your sister? People would ask where this sister ended up being. It would just complicate things.«

»So we are going to stick to that story?«

»The more we work on it, the more genuine it will sound and the more natural it will come to us. Talitha said you’re not a good liar, so it’s better for you to get acquainted with it.«

»Okay.« I replied with a sigh. I did not like the prospect of telling a lie over and over again.

»Well then, should we go and see if the caravan over there travels to Kerven and if we can join?«

»Absolutely!« I said and immediately jumped up. I was really excited about it since I have never traveled with a caravan before but have read about it in books. I wondered how it would be like.

 

……………………………………..

 

»That would be fifty Vend for today then. Payment is always at sunrise, so I hope you have enough with you until we are in Kerven.« the panther said as Terence counted five Silverend and gave the coins to the Raccardi with the pouch.

»Thank you very much. I’m glad we immediately found a caravan that travels to Kerven.« Terence said while I kept my mouth shut and just curiously watched the panther, who had a scar over his right eye.

»You seem to be lucky. Though I have to ask why you did not join one when you were still in Monabur? It would certainly be safer with one, especially when you’re having a kid with you.«

»The caravans there did not seem very trustworthy, so I didn’t want to test my luck.«

»Then I hope that we seem trustworthy enough for you.« the panther said with a chuckle.

»Certainly.« Terence said, also with a chuckle. It was then, that I started to look who was behind the panther. A group of four camels, two male, two female and two merchants, as well as a gazelle, who seemed to be an ordinary wandering person. I was especially interested in the merchants and one of the female camels, who was armored with several knives and whose body was marked with a few dark scars. I gulped, since they reminded me of Terence’s scars. Probably from a raptor attack as well. The merchants both had their own wagons. One of them was pulled by a witless bull, while the other one was pulled by the merchant himself, who was a quite big draft stallion. The other merchant was a brown feathered gryphon who at this moment brushed the coat of his bull.

»What’s your name?« I asked the panther as my view returned to him.

»I, my little friend, am Elian. The leader of this caravan. These three there are my loyal comrades Neev,« he counted to the younger of the two male camels, »Balint« he pointed to the older male camel, »and Abira.« which was the name of the older female camel.

»What about her?« I asked and pointed to the other female camel, the one with the knives and scars.«

»Oh yes, this is Ceyra. She is wandering with us since Santugan and is very impatient about arriving in Kerven. You see, also camels can join caravans without being a solid part of them.«

»Oh, okay. I’m sorry. She looked like she belonged to you.« I said apologetically. This however made me see the armed camel in a new light. Santugan was, next to Monabur, the biggest city of Koruna. It was also called the city of blood, though it did not get this name for nothing. In Monabur stories about Santugan were told. Stories to scare little kids like me, but also real stories. Almost a third of the population consisted of criminals. I just hoped that Ceyra was not one of them. I noticed that also Terence threw Ceyra a vary glance before his view quickly returned to Elian.

»When do you plan to stop resting?« he asked.

»In about half an hour. Then the bull should be rested enough. We are honestly only waiting for it at the moment.«

»Can't blame him. Korrul isn't the youngest anymore and he has to pull a wagon full of heavy armor here.« the gryphon remarked and petted the bull.

»Why is he wagon full of armor?« I asked curiously and stopped closer to the wagon. He gryphon gave a hoarse laugh.

»I exchanged a few pelts for 'em back in Monabur. I bet I can get quite a good deal for these in Jenkins or even already in Kerven.«

»But if you just exchange them, how are you ever going to get money?« I asked a little confused.

»There is nothing worse than a merchant without ware. I exchange ware for ware and if it is worth more than what the exchanger has to offer, I get a few Vend extra. If that does not work, then there is always the common option of selling your ware to someone who is interested when they give you a good price. From that money I can buy myself new ware, which I then can sell for a higher price later. The trick is to keep an eye on how much everything is worth at the current moment because the prizes change.«

»That sounds complicated.« I remarked. I would never become a merchant.

»It is always a little complicated. The worst thing is buying things that are next to worthless and not being also to sell those for a high price. This is the fastest way to become broke.« Terence added. His made me even more confused. Why would someone buy something worthless in the first place?

»I guess you're a little too young for that yet, sonny.« the draft stallion grumbled. Perhaps he was right.

»I'm Terence by the way.« Terence introduced himself to the gryphon while I still had my eyes on the draft stallion.

»Rashim.« the gryphon replied with a nod of his head. »And what's your name, little boy?« he asked me. I threw Terence a look, to which he nodded his head very faintly so that probably only I noticed it.

»Err...my parents named me after a constellation, but it's written how it is written in the North Lands.« I said, since I figured that an explanation beforehand might be better.

»And which constellation would that be?« Rashim asked interested. I looked away since I _knew_ the reaction.

»Drako.«

»Oh, the same name as the prince?«

»Almost.« I mumbled, still looking away.

»This is also a reason why we left Monabur. We were thinking about moving to Nordberg for a while already, but with the most recent events we figured that it would just become harder for him. He already didn't have it easy because of his name before _that_.«

»But it is a very respectable name, is it not? After all, royalty has been named so.« the gazelle said. I had to agree with her to some point, since there really _was_ a rule to how children of the royal family should be named. I have had luck with mine, since Draco really was a very powerful constellation. Celestia, who was practiced in summoning constellation beasts, had told me that the draconic beast Draco had not been summoned for over a decade since it needed a lot of magic power to do so. The more magic power you needed to summon something, the more powerful it was. In that sense, I really could be proud of my name. My sister had been not so lucky and I pitied all the children who had been named after her. After all, her name came from the word _precious_ , which also could be used in the same way as _cute_. Prech was anything but cute though. Most of the time at least.

I shook my head to get the thoughts away from my sister. I shouldn’t think about her.

»I guess it is. I just hope it will be less known in Nordberg.« I said and sighed..

»Certainly. We Nordberg people don't care much for the Korunian royalty.« the draft stallion said in his grumbling voice. Only now did I notice the slight accent he spoke in. Apparently it was the Nordberg accent.

»Don't worry, little one. Also when this incident is a horrible tragedy, you will not be associated with it in Nordberg. If you want to talk about it, you can always come to me. You may even call me Auntie Haya if you want to.« The gazelle said with a chuckle. She certainly did not look old enough that I could call her _auntie_. She was even younger than my parents, though older than Terence or Celestia.

»Thanks?« I couldn't help but let it sound more like a question than a genuine _thank you_ , since her offer confused me.

»What is your name, mister?« I asked the draft stallion in order to not have to talk to the gazelle anymore.

»Name's Zev. Just be sure to stay away from my wagon, kid, or I can't guarantee for what I'll do.«

I gulped. I would most definitely stay away from Zev's wagon...when he was around. Not being allowed to do something always made even more curious as to why it was forbidden. But since he would probably be _always_ around his wagon, I would not be able to find out.

»Don't worry about your silver and gold. The kid has got to get past me first.« Ceyra cut in and took one of her very sharp looking knives out of its sheath.

»I most definitely will not try, promise!« _Especially not after that threat._ I still had to admit that in some weird form, she reminded me of my friend Ray. I almost felt guilty about worrying more about Rylon than about Esmeray, but then again, she was not one, one seemed to have to worry about. She was tough, loud, confident and such a drastic contrary of a _girl_ that it was easy to forget that she was one.

Ceyra was also the latter. It was not every day that I saw a girl carry that many knives. And with further inspection I could even make out that Ceyra was just that: a girl. She was not an adult yet but still she seemed like one. Not from her seen age, but from how she acted.

This comparison however made me like her a little more again. But just a little. I at least liked her more than _Auntie Haya_. Speaking of...

»How can you say something like that to a child!? Put that knife away or you might make him cry.«

 _Excuse me!?_ The only reason to cry because of a knife was when the knife was actively used against me. And when it was also made out of iron probably. Iron was now a legit reason to cry. But seeing a knife and breaking down in tears? Did she think I was a one year old?

»Don't worry. That boy is a lot tougher than you think.« Terence cut in, with which he saved Haya from being verbally abused by me.

»Regardless of that, knives are dangerous weapons and I do not want to have any unsheathed ones near me when it is not absolutely necessary.«

 _Aha, so she_ herself _was about to start crying because of the knife._ Ray would have called her a wuss.

»Thin skin, eh? Stop being such a wuss, Miss Gazelle.« And now I liked Ceyra even more. Funny how quickly things could change.

»It is _Haya_.«

»Haya what? Where is the last name? Got something to hide?«

»I prefer to remain anonymous.«

»Let me guess: Not even _Haya_ is your real name and you actually are internationally wanted.«

»I am from a noble house.«

»Sure you are.« Ceyra said incredibly uninterested and rolled her eyes. »Should that impress me now?«

»Nobility is usually met with respect and posture.«

»Screw respect and posture as long as you have not done something to deserve my respect Miss Gazelle.«

And again, I started to like Ceyra a little more. I kept in mind that she probably was a criminal from Santugan and could kill me in my sleep, but that didn't change that I liked her more than Haya.

»Speaking of last names, what is yours?« Ceyra then asked Terence.

»Nazmi«

»Gesundheit.« Zev said, to which I cocked my head in confusion. Terence hadn't sneezed.

»It's a normal Korunian last name.« Terence said to him.

»Still sounds like a sneeze to me.« the draft stallion replied with a shrug.

»And the kid?« Ceyra asked further.

 _Alberetti_. I thought and resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

If I would actually say that, she might even think it to be a joke. Obviously, she was not very _loyal_ to the royal family, so for her to see it as blasphemy would be out of the question. Still I didn't say it since I did not want to risk everyone to grow suspicious. My first name was leading to uncomfortable conclusions already anyway.

»Same as me« Terence therefore quickly said, apparently thinking the same thing as me.

»And what about your last name?« I asked Ceyra, sine I have grown curious now.

»Ceyra Eden.«

»That's a way cooler last name than mine!« I whined. And at that I thought about my _real_ last name, not Terence's. Though maybe _Eden_ even sounded cooler than _Nazmi_.

»I agree. _Nazmi_ just sounds dumb.« Ceyra said and nodded her head in mischievous approval.

»Why thank you very much you two.« Terence said sarcastically.

 _»You know I meant my real last name.«_ I said to Terence in thoughts. I hadn't tried telepathy since we had been in the boutique, but I hoped it still worked. Judging by the faint grin on Terence's face this seemed to be the case.

»I suggest you cut it out with the fighting now Ceyra.« Elian, who was approaching from behind the camel, said.

»Fighting? You call _that_ fighting? Seriously, you guys are no fun.«

»I agree.« I whispered, but apparently I had not been quiet enough, because Terence and Elian both threw me a strict look.

»How long do you still need with the bull, Rashim?« Elian asked the gryphon merchant instead of scolding me.

»Twenty minutes maybe. He's eaten and drank enough, but still needs to rest for a little.«

»Alright. Let us know when he is rested enough.«

»Speaking of rest, I could also still use a little of that before we get going again. Are you joining me, kid?« Terence asked. I shook my head.

»Nope. I'm not tired.« Terence threw me a look. »Okay, maybe I do need some rest after all.« I admitted unwillingly. It was a lie. Terence and I then walked a little distance away and lied down, out of hearing range from the rest of the caravan.

»I don't have a good feeling about this, but we have to get away from here as fast as possible. Who knows when the next caravan that goes to Kerven and is this cheap will arrive? So we joined them due to a lack of better options.«

»And that means what?« I asked, immediately having pictures in my head of us getting thrown in front of a pack of ferocious raptors.

»It means that we both should be careful. Don't trust any of those people. It will only be a few days until we are in Kerven and so we only will be together with them until then. If you feel like saying anything risky, better don't say anything at all. The less they know the safer for us, alright?«

»Alright.« I said. The last thing I wanted was to ruin everything before we even arrived in Nordberg.

 

……………………………………..

 

»And then it just ran away with its tail between its legs.«

»Wow, Korrul is really brave!« I said as Rashim had finished with his story of how his bull Korrul had once saved him from the attack of a witless lynx.

»He sure is. Even though he has grown old now.«

»How old is he?« I asked curiously.

»Eighteen years already. I fear that I'll have to buy myself a second bull eventually.«

»Just Eighteen? That doesn't sound so old.« If Eighteen years was old, then my parents were _ancient_.

»For a bull it is. They only get up to twenty two years old when lucky.«

»Poor Korrul.«

»Nah. The guy's had a good life. He deserves to rest eventually.«

»But his life was so short!«

»Plenty of time for him. Trust me, he's had it good.«

»Still. Why is it so different from how normal people age?«

»Kid, how often did you skip school?« Rashim asked with an arched eyebrow.

»Very often, I guess.« I said with a guilty smile.

»Let me educate you on that then.« Rashim said with a chuckle. »Long ago, before Koruna, Eriwon or even the North Lands were founded, there were mainly witless creatures in Mereldia. The sentient creatures were either monsters or chimeras that were just young in their history, like us gryphons. It was simply not enough to inspire any animal to step out of their sentience. So the elements created divine beings that should do exactly that. They inspired the animals to act more like them and develop sentience. After a few millennia, the animals have become fully sentient, though with that sentience, they tempted the gods to use them for war. A war which, as you know, eventually happened.«

I nodded eagerly. I knew about the war. _Everyone_ knew about the war.

»But what about the animals that still exist? There are witless of every species!« I argued, looking at Korrul. I knew a few sentient bulls. It was always a little weird to see a witless version of a species you knew. I hoped that I would never see a witless horse, since that would be a little insulting.

»Well, the gods looked like a species each. Can you imagine a witless bird listening to a sentient horse, for example?«

»No, not really.«

»Exactly. Only one species could be inspired to sentience by each of the gods. Since all of them had their own lands, they only had so many animals to teach. The rest of them simply stayed witless.«

»I think I get it. Though I guess I have heard something about that before.«

»I bet you have. It is one of the most important things in history.« Terence cut in and shook his head. »I can't believe you have skipped school so often that you do not even know about _that_ , but still know what the Crying Cliffs are or how gemstones can store spells.«

»Well, I only learn important stuff.« I mumbled and looked away. Rashim, who led Korrul with a rope, Terence and I walked at the end of the Caravan, while everyone else walked ahead. Haya was feverishly discussing something about wares with Zev, while the camels and Elian were silent and just attentively watched their surroundings.

»Why were gryphons sentient from the beginning and what is a chimeme?« I asked Rashim, since those things interested me the most.

»It is called a Chimera. Basically, they are described as beings with features from multiple animals. They were originally created in a war of a now extinct sentient species. We gryphons are considered as chimeras since we are a mixture of a bird and a cat. Those who created our species probably did not want us to be witless, so we could think for ourselves and aid in the war. This is why we never were witless.«

»That is way cooler than how horses became sentient and created Koruna! Why couldn't we be created for war!?« I ranted. Gryphons had it good. At least they did not have any witless of their species running around. Rashim chuckled.

»I guess that's true. But you have your own glorious parts of history, so don't fret too much about it.«

I decided to not say anything about that before I would say something stupid that could upset anyone. Instead, I watched the sun climbing lower and lower in the sky. Again and again I cast magic on the ruby around my neck, combined with the wish of strengthening the illusion spell. I had no idea if it would be harder to hide my night form or not, but I was very paranoid about what could happen if the illusion spell failed. I brushed away my worries with the explanation that it had worked already once with a lot less magic the night before, so it would work again.

»We are going to set up camp for the night over there.« Balint suddenly said and pointed to a pile of rocks that was accompanied by a dead tree. Maybe there had been an oasis once.

»And what about the raptors?« I asked, since I found a house much safer. I had never slept out in the wild before. All of a sudden I felt a lot more vulnerable, even though I had immense magic power at my disposal.

»One of us will always be awake and on guard, so there is no need to worry about it. Besides, raptors need sleep too. They more often attack at day.« Neev assured me. I just needed to trust them. They had experience with stuff like this after all.


	12. A Korunian Night

** Chapter 11 **

* * *

**A Korunian Night**

_25 th \- 26th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

> ** _Ceyra_ **

This kid sure was noisy, but it could be worse. I had seen kids, raised by the most impossible parents, who were shrieking nightmares, crying when their parents did not want to buy them a certain thing at the market, asking annoying questions or generally were not listening. This colt seemed considerably calm, which I found impressive. Whoever his parents had been, they had obviously done a good job, and this Terence guy too. But the fact that Drako was so calm made him suspicious again. I was from Santugan. I could smell _suspicious_ from kilometers away. If I wouldn't know better, I would say the kid was older than he was letting on to. Not by much, but at least a year. Then again, his parents could have been nobles. Those snooty bastards liked to stuff their kids full with proper speech and knowledge, making them incredibly disciplined and well-versed. I couldn't say that I agreed with that form of education, but it at least did not bring forth spoiled brats. At least not when the parents kept strictness in their education and did not give their kid otherwise everything it wanted. Drako seemed to be a mixture of both: well raised so far but still with a rebelliousness to him that indicated a lot of freedom.

Overall I did not really know what to think of him. Despite him being much more bearable than most other children, his frequent questions started to annoy the hell out of me.

»Shut. The. Hell. Up.« I seethed at him after a while, which really made him shut up. Maybe it had also been because I had drawn one of my knives.

»Put that away! You are scaring the kid!« The gazelle exclaimed. By the gods, could someone _please_ throw her out of the caravan? Her overcautiousness made me more annoyed than the kid.

»This was the intent.« I grumbled and put the knife back again while watching the sun disappear on the horizon. We had not come very far today, which put me into a very bad mood. At this speed, it would take more than five days to reach Kerven! I started to ask myself if that was still my goal though. Wandering around with the Caravan and fighting against the brutality of nature itself had a certain thrill to it. A thrill I would miss if I would just settle down in Kerven.

»The poor kid will become traumatized because of you! Come here, Drako. You're safe with me.« Haya raged, while her voice became honey-sweet for the last part. I rolled my eyes.

»Err, no.« Drako just said and sounded like he would more likely want to get _comforted_ by a raptor. The kid definitely had a good sense for people and he also seemed anything but traumatized.

»Don't worry Miss Haya, he has me for comfort.« Terence said, since the gazelle seemed to be slightly disappointed by the kid's answer.

»Which is good.« Haya said and nodded her head in approval.

»I can teach you how to handle such knives if you want, kid.« I said, though it was less to frighten Drako but more to annoy the gazelle. Her face was the equivalent of shock. I grinned mischievously at that.

»No, thank you. Terence said I'm too young for weapons.« the kid said and simply shook his head. He sounded as if he had just declined an offer of how to learn baking bread. Fearlessness was a trait I valued highly and that kid had it. That sure was _something_. He would still get eaten by raptors if it wasn't for the caravan and me.

»How can you even _suggest_ such a thing!?« Haya asked to which I rolled my eyes.

»Because I can.« I replied, not interested to get into a moral argument with her about kids learning how to use knives. I myself had grown up with handling knives. It was a basic skill for Santuganians to have because if you did not have it, you were inevitably going to get killed. Because there really were just two options in Santugan: Survive or get killed. I couldn't believe the king had let it come so far. The King of Monabur and Koruna that was. King Xaver, the king of Santugan, was not doing a good job at all and his son Madjel didn't seem to be better either.

I had left before the city could fall more into anarchy than it already had. Meanwhile I realized how lucky I was for even getting this opportunity. Most did not have the money needed to join a caravan to get out of the city and those who did were wealthy enough to not have to leave it. I actually did _not_ have enough money, but Elian and I had made a deal: I would help protecting the caravan and he would lower the price to five Vend per day. It was a very good deal and I was happy that things have worked out like this, but I as well could have not been so lucky.

Since I had left nothing behind in Santugan, not even relatives for they all were dead, I had only random strangers to pity who were in the situation I had been in and were not lucky enough to get out of Santugan. At least the desperate maniacs who tried to get out of the city without a caravan would keep the starving raptors fed. This way they hopefully would not go after us.

»Can we eat now? I'm hungry.« The kid suddenly said, to which I could just nod my head. Food certainly sounded good now, even though I could also live a few days without it if needed.

»I'll start a fire.« Abira said and was about to get some of the dry branches of the dead tree, when Terence spoke up.

»Don't bother, I got this.« he said and a second later a fire was burning on the sand. I raised an eyebrow in suspicion and jealousy.

»You are a mage then, huh?« I asked the grullo stallion. This explained why they wanted to move to Nordberg. It was basically _the_ place to go if you were a mage.

»A fire mage, but my accuracy has been suffering from losing half my eyesight, so I won't be much help when it comes to defense.«

» _I_ am here for defense anyway.« I disliked mages. In Santugan there was an unspoken hierarchy amongst the low society. The ones on the top were those who were most skilled. And when it came to skill, mages had a huge advantage compared to non-mages. For me it seemed like they cheated their way to the top, though I knew that magic was also just a skill based on a lot of practice. I myself only used a levitation spell to hover my knives, but that was so basic that it could barely be considered magic at all. At least not by most people. What they forgot was how hard it was to gain accuracy with it so that the knife you threw also impacted where you planned it to stab. I worked on it for years and considered a real skill, though most people easily disregarded it as something common. This made me have a seething dislike for those who were considered _real_ mages but could even do less than me.

Now I did not know how much Terence could do, but the jealousy in me still started to rage at the revelation of him being a mage.

»What is that?« the kid suddenly asked as Abira pulled something out of a bag that looked like a headless turkey. It probably even was a featherless beheaded turkey, though it looked surprisingly fresh for something that had been enveloped by cloths and packed in a bag, where it had been exposed to the heat of the desert the whole day.

»I bought it in Monabur this morning. It should still be good.« the elder camel said and quickly built up a framework of some metal bars above the fire that would function as a holder for the chunk of dead bird.

»Meat!« Drako exclaimed, as if it would be a gift from the gods.

»Did you keep that kid on a diet for the last two moons or something?« Rashim asked Terence, to which the grullo just shook his head.

»I just told him that we would not get to eat much meat until we are in Nordberg and he was sulking about that.«

»Meat is almost a luxury good, so don't regard it as something so usual, kid.« I said with a frown. In Santugan I had often gone whole moons without eating meat. This had nothing to do with a diet, but just because meat was expensive. Usually.

»It is?« the kid asked, to which I scowled. He obviously had not been raised in poverty.

»It is, so better get used to not eating it very often anymore.«

»I need meat though.« Drako sulked.

»You don't. Horses originally were herbivores anyway.« He looked like he was about to argue, opened his mouth and then closed it again. Good so. Arguments were needless anyway. He would not get as much meat to eat as he was used to. End of story. This evening, however, seemed to become an exception of that new rule.

»What are herbivores?« he anyway asked.

»Those that only are able to eat plants.« Terence said, which saved me from an answer. I was not planning to hold one of these question-answer conversations after all. Anything to safe me from that annoyance!

»How boring. I'm sorry for those people.«

»They aren't people. All sentient ones are omnivores because our ancestors had the gods' blood in them. This is also how we are able to use magic while normal animals will never be able to do so.« Zev said and as always sounded like he gurgled with gravel.

»What would happen if we would give Korrul something from this meat?« The colt asked Rashim.

»He would get sick and maybe even die, if he eats it at all.«

»That's horrible. Let us stick to giving him oats.«

Since the conversation was drifting away from needing further contribution from my side, I walked over to Elian, Balint and Neev, while Abira grilled the turkey.

»Inquisitive kid, isn't he?« Elian asked when I approached.

»A little _too_ inquisitive if you ask me. He's getting on my nerves.«

»You'll get used to it. Trust me, there are worse children out there.«

»I am aware.« I grumbled.

»Don't be frowny, Ceyra. Abira even got us a turkey, so cheer up!« Neev said and shrugged nonchalantly.

»She could have gotten us the king's crown and it would still be five damned days until we are at Kerven!« I countered. While I did not object the food at all – actually I was looking forward to it – I still wanted to set the schedule as my top priority.

»Don't be like that and appreciate the dinner for what it is: something special.«

»Something special to lure the raptors here, alright.« Balint grumbled, also not seeming to be very happy with it. Elian though just waved his paw.

»They only go after the smell of fresh blood. Not after the smell of smoke and grilled meat. If I remember right, grilled meat does not even taste that good to them. We should be safe.«

»I'll take your word for it.« I said with a frown, since in the end it was mainly me who had to fight off these pests. And I had never even seen a raptor, so I did not know how successful I would be with it.

»Let us just enjoy this dinner and worry about the remaining days tomorrow morning after a good night's rest.« Elian said and I unwillingly nodded in agreement. To some extent he was right: no reason to make a problem of something that was not even there yet.

 

……………………………………..

> ** _Drako_ **

I loved this caravan. This could be due to the fact that they had brought a turkey with them, but otherwise they also seemed alright, even Haya. I dunno what it was that let me stare at the turkey with such interest though. Maybe it was because I have never seen how one was grilled, but I mainly was hungry. The urge to just dig my teeth in it was overwhelming, but I refrained from doing so. It was still raw after all. Dara, Rylon’s mother, had once told me that it was unhealthy to eat raw meat. Since I had ever only gotten flawless means at home, the revelation had been new to me. Overall I had learned a lot by just being around Rylon and his family. Things I would have never learned if I had always obeyed to my parents and stayed home. But even though I had learned a little more about _normal_ life than I would have originally, I still kept being surprised at things. Now I not only had to pull off a convincing image of a normal colt, but also had to hide my fae origin at the same time. This would be tough.

»Say, Drako, have you ever been outside of Monabur before?« Haya asked nicely. I sighed, since I had given up on trying to ignore her. She was just trying to be nice after all, right?

»No, I haven’t.« I said truthfully to answer her question.

»Do you want to hear a little about the Middle Lands then? I am on my way there now.«

»Yes please!« I quickly said, struck by curiosity. Not many lived in the Middle Lands.

»I have a brother who lives near Jenkins, which is the next merchant town after Kerven when you head north. I want to visit him there. He has a little farm which delivers corn and other goods to the town. It’s pretty easy to make deals there with all the merchants there and also the people who are just passing through.«

»Are there forests? I heard the Middle Lands are full of forests.«

»There are a couple, yes. Nothing in comparison to Jengu though.«

»What is Jengu?«

»A death trap up north. Never go there if you value your life.« Zev said grimly. I was confused. I knew that there were predators in forests, but what made this Jengu forest so much more dangerous?

»Why? What is in there?«

»Fae.« Terence said a little more quietly than necessary. The question that had lied on my tongue died. Fae. They were widely feared and there was a whole forest full with them. I really did not want to go there.

»I doubt the kid even knows what fae are.« Abira said while keeping her gaze on the meat.

_I don’t think so._

»They are also called faeries and they are evil.« Rashim explained to me to which I frowned.

»All of them?« I asked, so which the adults nodded in unison. Except Terence.

»How do you know that? Have you ever met one?« I asked further. Maybe I really was the only _nice_ fae in Mereldia, but even if that was the case, I was sick of prejudices.

»You know, kid, some folks are just born evil. It lays in their nature. Or so you hear. Judging by all the mysterious disappearances in the North Lands I’m not doubting the stories much.« Ceyra, who now came back from talking to Elian, Neev and Balint, cut in.

»But maybe those are just the bad ones. There could be good ones too!« I argued.

»There are Seelie and Unseelie. People like to draw a line between them and saw Seelie are good and Unseelie are evil. I personally do not believe that. All fae hate mortals and are born to kill them. Some just less so than others.« Zev grumbled. I swallowed.

Born to kill.

_Dear almighty gods, please excuse me for not having memorized the full prayer. I beg you to not let me become a killer. I do not want to kill people!_

»Oh, I see.« I said and hung my head.

»Don’t worry, Drako. I’m sure you will arrive at Nordberg safely.« Haya said with a smile, apparently thinking that I was worried about getting attacked by a fae. She was not really wrong with that. I did not want to meet a fae. I did not want to be killed. I did not want Terence to be killed either. Or anyone else…

 

……………………………………..

 

It was the middle of the night when I was suddenly startled out of sleep by a strange feeling. I looked around to see nothing out of the ordinary, though the feeling stayed. Abira, who was apparently taking the night watch, briefly looked at me and cocked her head, motioning me to go back to sleep, though I was not sure if I could do that. I looked around to determine what this feeling was. Unease, danger, fury. It was definitely a negative feeling if it caused such emotions in me. Yet I still did not know _why_ I felt it.

My ears twitched as I heard something else than the wind. Moving sand. It was very quiet. I wouldn't have heard it if I wouldn't have paid extra attention to the sound. But now I was sure: I heard steps. Someone was stealthily walking around nearby. Again, I counted everyone around me. Everyone was here. Which meant...

 _Oh, by the gods, no! Not raptors!_ I nudged Terence as quietly as possible and he eventually woke up. I motioned him to stay quiet and pointed to the desert beyond the rocks behind us. Also Abira had noticed what was going on and was about to quietly wake up the others.

I was glad that the illusion spell did not prevent me from still being able to see perfectly in the dark. I held my gaze on the spot where I had heard the raptor and eventually even saw the weird creature. It was perfectly camouflaged with its beige and brown feathers, but its eyes glistered in the moonlight, giving it away. Meanwhile everyone was being woken up.

»Hmm, is it morning yet?« Haya asked sleepily, to which we all bit our lips. That sound was probably enough to alert the raptors, if they had not noticed us already.

A high screech filled the air, which sounded unlike anything I have ever heard before. It didn't sound like a bird at all, but more like a mixture between what a bird sounded like and a hiss, coupled with a roar. It was a sound I did not want to hear ever again.

»Don't move.« Elian said quietly while we all held our breath.

> ** _Ceyra_ **

›Raptors are not being attracted to the smell of smoke and grilled meat‹ my ass! Right here they were! Frankly it had just been a matter of time until we would have been unlucky enough to encounter a pack of them. This time had come now and I very much disliked every second of it. The kid seemed scared but yet confused and confident at the same time, probably because he did not understand the situation entirely. The one most panicked therefore was Haya who looked around in all directions and shivered. I was very close to give her a hit on the head and let her fall unconscious. This way she at least wouldn't make everyone else nervous too.

We were at a disadvantage. The raptors could see in the dark while we couldn’t. I drew some of my knives and pointed them into all directions. I knew how raptors attacked, Elian had explained it to me. One of them showed itself to chase their prey right into the waiting other members of the pack who would then attack it. If the prey did not run but kept looking at the raptor, then it would be surprised by the other raptors that were approaching from all other sides.

We were currently not going anywhere, so the second option was most likely.

Suddenly the raptor screeched again and started charging at us. I held up a knife in its direction while I focused the other knives into the other directions while I tried my best to listen from where the other raptors would come.

It all happened at once. Suddenly four raptors, coming out of all directions, jumped at us and in the next they were all lying in the desert sand and tried to get up again. They had run against something invisible. Almost like a wall. But there was nothing.

»Wow, I didn't know you could cast shield spells, Terence.« Drako said while Terence just looked around in concentration. Credit where credit was due: the mage had saved our asses. He wouldn't be able to keep that up forever though and the raptors were patient.

»What now?« Neev asked and looked around.

»Light would be very useful right now.« Abira grumbled, which Terence seemed to understand as a hint for he drew a circle of fire around us which drove the raptors further back. The hissed at the flames, but I could see that Terence would not be able to hold that and the shield up for long.

»Drop the shield. They’re not stupid enough to run through the fire and if they are, they will not do it all at once. I can handle _one_ of them at least.« I said, even though I was not sure if that was true. Haya meanwhile had dropped to the ground, shivering, and prayed to the gods.

»Are you sure?« Terence asked.

»Just do it already! You cannot keep this up forever after all!«

The shield dropped and I prepared my knives again. Just as I had thought, the fire kept the raptors at bay, but eventually one of them jumped inside the circle of fire, screeching a battle cry before charging right at Korrul. Of course, they would go for the witless. He had enough meat on him to feed the whole pack and he was also the one we would most likely abandon. I still would not let them have the bull. I threw two of my knives. One of them hit the raptor where I presumed its heart was, while the other slid open its throat. Its feathers turned crimson while made a few more steps and then broke down, shallowly taking its last breaths.

Haya looked at the creature in horror. Either she was terrified by the sight of death or she was terrified by the creature itself. No matter what she was terrified of, she suddenly jumped up from where she had been lying on the ground. Then she did something so stupid that it really must have just been a survival instinct or something like that. She jumped out of the ring of fire and ran away. Of course, the raptors immediately started to chase after her.

»Put out that fire, I’ll go after her!« Balint said immediately and drew a sword.

»It’s too dangerous. There could be even more of them out there.« Rashim said, trying to be reasonable.

»Can’t you just fly after her and grab her out of the air?« Drako suggested. It actually sounded like a good plan.

»I can try.« Rashim said, a little unsure. »I can’t fly with the fire here though. Too big of a wing span.« He said and unsurely looked around.

»The raptors all seem to be after Haya. Ceyra, keep an eye out, Terence, please stop the fire.« Elian said, to which the grullo stallion and I both nodded.

Once the fire disappeared, Rashim started flying after the gazelle. Lucky for her that she was a gazelle. Maybe she would even be able to outrun the raptors with her speed. But that was not my worry now. I kept an eye and ears out for more of the pesky beasts.

»I’ll go after Haya too. The raptors might have to be shooed away with a sword before Rashim can get her.« Balint said bravely and stormed after the gryphon. I bit down on my lip, to not start cursing. Once fighter less was the last thing we needed here now.

»Put up the fire wall again, Nazmi, I dunno how many of them I can fend off at the same time.« I said while noticing a suspicious movement nearby. Terence just nodded. A second later we were closed in by fire again. If it would not have been controlled by a mage, it would have been terrifying. But the only terrifying thing out there right now were those raptors. All of us kept quiet and even the fire seemed to go down in volume as we listened for something that would indicate the location of a raptor. What we heard was not a subtle step though, but a horrifying scream in the distance, followed by desperate pleas for help. Haya. The raptors had her.

The fire flickered a little when we heard her scream.

»Don’t be distracted by that or we’ll be the next to scream.« I hissed at Terence while awaiting Rashim’s and Balint’s return.

We waited and the waiting wouldn’t stop. Where the hell were they? At least Rashim would be able to return quickly when he saw Haya being killed, didn’t he? He was flying after all. Maybe something had happened to Balint too.

Eventually two figures could be seen coming towards us. The fire wall dropped to let them in and then manifested again to keep them safe. Balint was hurt very badly and Rashim did his best to support the camel. Eventually Balint let himself fall to the ground and panted heavily. Abira immediately rushed forward to take care of his wounds.

»There was nothing I could do. They got Haya. I then told Balint to turn around, but a raptor suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He landed a few deep scratches on Balint before he could kill it with his sword.«

»Haya is…« Drako began but did not finish the question. The fire flickered again.

»Don’t think about it.« Terence told him in a try to comfort the scared colt.

The situation was bad. Very bad. One of us was dead and another was injured to the point where walking long distances would be a problem. We were stuck here.

»Elian, is there something more safe than this rock that we can reach with Balint in this state?« I asked, hoping for something like the Growling Wall, where the raptors would only be able to attack from three directions. This still was not good, but it was better than being out in the open like this. Because they would come back for Balint. When one looked at it objectively, Haya had not much on her after all. They would grow hungry quickly again and then would attack the weakest member of the group: the injured one.

»It’s not much, but there is a labyrinth of stone pillars about three kilometers north from here. It wouldn’t deviate us much from our original route, so we could try to seek shelter there.«

»Shelter is relative when you are talking about a fucking _labyrinth_!« I said, but still accepted the suggestion. It was better than what we had now.

»I don’t think Balint can walk three kilometers in his current state. In a few days, maybe, but now…« Abira said worried.

»He can rest in my wagon. I’m sure Korrul can put up with the extra weight.« Rashim said.

»Good idea. Then we will leave immediately.« Elian said.

»W-why now? Shouldn’t we wait until morning?« Drako asked.

»To let those pests grow even hungrier, you mean?« I shot back with an eye roll, which made Drako shrink back behind Terence. Suddenly the kid didn’t seem as tough anymore, but that was understandable. After all, he had just witnessed the death of a person for the first time. Through living in Santugan I had grown insensitive towards it, but I could see how this would be a shocking event for a kid.

 

……………………………………..

 

»Can’t we go any faster? They are probably already stalking us.« Neev said and looked around anxiously.

»We are almost at the labyrinth.« Elian said, to calm him down.

»Korrul can’t go any faster with the extra weight. If you want to go faster you could help him pull though.« Rashim remarked and sounded a little peeved about it. I agreed though. There was no need to complain if the only thing you did was walk, while others had to pull wagons. The least Neev could do was to help. Useless camel.

It was still dark, though the sky already became a little brighter in the east, marking the slow beginning of a new day.

»Are you sure that it’s in this direction? We are already heading north, but I can’t see anything yet.« Terence said after having checked the stars.

»I am sure.« Elian said.

»The prime question is how we are going to hide in a labyrinth. The raptors can smell us, so it won’t be much of a challenge for them.« I remarked.

»There is no other place to hide nearby. We just have to hold out there until Balint feels  better.«

»So like building a fort?« Drako asked.

»Exactly, little friend, just like building a fort. We have enough food packed, but we still will have to ration it out.«

»That does ration mean?« Drako asked.

»It means not just ›no meat‹ but also less of everything else for you.« I translated. I could have sworn that I heard him grumble »I hate this plan.« but I also could be wrong. I still had to acknowledge how calm Drako was, considering what had just happened. Naivety and under shock or not, this was anything but normal!

»So, what do you think about this, kid? Something else than living safely in the city, huh?«

»Ceyra, not now. Just because you are used to death doesn’t mean we are.« Terence said.

»I think it’s scary.« Drako whispered after Terence had spoken but then looked away. It was only then that I noticed: he was not just pretending to not care, he was on edge. I have seen that before when a witless animal had been pushed into a corner. They have had the exact same expression Drako had right now. The raptors seemed to trouble him more than they troubled us. Either that, or it was something completely different I did not know about. Though he was not just scared, he was terrified.

»He’s right. Let’s not talk about it and focus on surviving.«

»At least now you know why the people who live in Santugan and have no money to leave stay in Santugan.«

»Enough! I would appreciate silence now in case Neev is right and the raptors are already stalking us.« Elian said, to which we all obeyed.

I watched the stone pillars on the horizon grow larger and the sky slowly getting brighter. Shadows moved distantly in the desert sand, which I presumed were raptors. Drako’s idea of a fort wasn’t even so bad. Hopefully we would find something to build one though.


	13. Labyrinth

** Chapter 12 **

* * *

**Labyrinth**

_26 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

> ** _Terence_ **

At this point I was clearly worried about Drako's mental state. I knew he'd freak out sooner or later, it was just a question of time. We hopefully would have left the caravan and the desert behind us when that happened, but I doubted it. While I had expected raptors, I had not expected one of us to die. It already had an impact on me, so I wondered how heavily it would change Drako. At least he had not seen _how_ Haya had died.

I started to ease up a little when we finally reached the labyrinth. Taken, it was created by nature, but I still had no doubt that one could easily get lost in there. The pillars of reddish stone loomed up before us, varying in different shapes, sizes and positions. Some were formed into canyons and ravines, while others were tall pillars of rock.

»And it’s safe here?« Drako asked and looked around. I could tell that he was more nervous than before. His use of magic earlier luckily had been camouflaged by the explanation that I had been the one using it. While I could create shields, I had never been able to cast one that could be maintained for as long as Drako's had. It made me a little jealous, to be honest.

»›Safe‹ might not exactly be the right word, but it's saf _er._ « Abira said as she tended to Balint's wounds. The injured camel still laid in Rashim's wagon but did not seem one bit better so far. Hopefully Abira knew enough about healing to be able to nurse him back to health, because I sure as hell didn't know what to do. I set it on my list of things to learn once we were in Nordberg.

»I think it’s a good time now to mourn Haya.« Elian said sadly. Everyone but Ceyra hung their heads at that. The camel from Santugan seemed to not be very empathetic towards the topic though.

»Why that? She's dead. End of story.«

»It's a sign of respect. Also we were able to get away thanks to her unwilling sacrifice. We owe her something.« Rashim said.

»Tsk, if there's no way around it, then _fine_. But don't make it too sappy.« I started to wonder how harsh the life in Santugan was, for Ceyra to react like _that_. Corpses must really be as common as sand there. It was a good thing I had never been to Santugan. My parents had purposefully always avoided the city and now I started to understand why.

»Oh almighty gods, do let Haya's soul wander to Avalon and find peace there. She, who had a heart kinder than any other, died to save us and herself. For that, she shall always be remembered. Please watch over her and let her find peace.« Elian said as we all hung our heads. After he had finished speaking, we all stayed silent for a few minutes to mourn the dead gazelle. Frankly, we had not known her much and Drako had kind of disliked her, but that did not mean that she deserved death, especially not such a horrible one.

»That was enough mourning now. Those who are tired, sleep, I keep a watch out for those raptors.« Ceyra eventually said and interrupted the silence with that.

»You can't fight the raptors alone.« Drako argued.

»Idiot. Of course, I won't. Once I notice something I will wake you up. Just make sure that this time no one runs off again.« the camel said and rolled her eyes.

»Who call others idiots are idiots themselves.« Drako mumbled quietly. Unlucky for him, Ceyra seemed to have caught that. She glared at him, which made him seek shelter behind me. He was brave alright, but he was afraid as hell of Ceyra and her knives. I couldn't blame him. If they were made out of iron, they could hurt him in more than just one way after all.

»I agree with Ceyra. Let's all get some rest. At noon we'll see that we find real shelter where we can hide out until Balint feels better.« Elian said. Drako seemed more than eager to agree, as he immediately lied down on the dry soil ground. I actually wanted to disagree and say that we should find a cave or something similar right away, but who knew how long it would take to find a cave, or if there was one anyway. Therefore, I also laid down on the ground without comment and decided to get just a little rest.

 

»I swear to the gods, if a cave won’t show up in the next thirty minutes, I’ll just kick one into those damn rocks.« Zev grumbled, obviously not amused by the situation. We had yet again reached a dead end and had to turn around. A cave yet had to be found and then even one that was big enough to fit us all, including the two wagons, inside.

»You can do that?« Drako asked in amazement. Zev just rolled his eyes.

»’Course not, kid.«

The heat was growing more unbearable by the minute, even for a fire mage as me. Sure, the rock pillars offered shade, but it did not bring all too much, since the sun was standing in the middle of the sky right now, burning down on us mercilessly. We all had the hoods of our cloaks pulled over our heads to get extra protection, though it only did little to ease our headaches. The only ones who didn’t do that were Ceyra and Rashim. The former simply lacked a hood on her cloak and the latter did not wear a cloak to begin with. However, Rashim had a piece of cloth wrapped around his head to also protect it from the heat.

»Maybe we should just split up. That way we would find a cave a lot faster.« Drako said.

»And then each one of us gets eaten by a raptor individually. Great idea, pipsqueak.« Ceyra scowled, which made the colt shrink back again.

»It was just an idea.« he mumbled.

»Wait, it’s not that much of a bad idea.« Rashim cut in. »If one of you could keep on leading Korrul with the wagon, I could fly up and see if I can find a cave. This would be easier than trying to walk down every single path in this hell of stone.«

»That actually is a very good idea. Let’s hope that there actually is a cave in this labyrinth.« Elian said while taking the rope around Korrul’s neck.

We all stayed and waited after Rashim had flown up and was now circling high over our heads like an eagle. Shortly after he returned to the ground.

»There is one a few turns over, I can lead you from the air.« he said.

»Great! Thanks Rashim!« Neev said, more than eager to finally get into the cold shade of a cave.

While we followed Rashim’s directions I kept a close eye on Drako. On the outside he seemed to be no different than before the incident last night, but I could see that he was still very worked up about it on the inside. It was still weird to think that I’ve known him for only a few days so far and would take care of him for the next few years. And he was not just _any_ kid, but the prince of Koruna. What would I do if he ever decided to go back here? I couldn’t teach him what was important to be king. I couldn’t tell him what to do to solve this horrible misunderstanding that lead to him being a wanted criminal. Well, the latter could maybe be solved with a few years of careful planning, but still! When Talitha had come by my place in the middle of the night and told me I would have to take care of the prince of Koruna and raise him, I had at first been convinced that I had still been sleeping. The request alone was definitely strange enough to be one of those weird things I sometimes dreamed about. But here I was, walking through the desert, probably being stalked by raptors and taking care of Drako as good as possible. I’ve never had siblings and therefore had no idea how to act, but I also wasn’t exactly bad with kids, so I’d hopefully manage.

»There it is!« Rashim said eventually and pointed ahead while landing next to Elian and taking Korrul again.

»Seems to be big enough.« Zev grumbled.

»I don’t care how big it is! At least we found a cave at all!« Neev exclaimed and trotted ahead. Drako quickly followed him.

»I have never been in a cave before!« He said excitedly to Neev.

»Really? It’s just a huge hole in a rock usually.« he replied.

»A little too enthusiastic about the prospect of hiding from ferocious raptors that want to tear us all to shreds, isn’t he?« Ceyra said sarcastically in half a whisper.

»I guess he just ignores it and is more excited about new things he hasn’t seen yet.« I replied.

»Then teach him to be more aware. Curiosity kills you more likely than fear does.«

_She really knows how to take a gloomy view on something, doesn’t she?_

 

»How is Balint doing?« Elian asked, after Abira just came back from changing the band aids on the camel’s wounds.

»Better, considering. What I said yesterday still holds true: three days and no less.«

»Then we’re stuck here.« Neev said grimly.

»Your sulking is not gonna improve the situation, ya know?« Zev grumbled and threw Neev a glare.

»Do we have enough food to come around?« I asked, since I knew that this was probably going to become a problem eventually.

»Well, I couldn’t just _waste_ the opportunity to get some fresh meat, so…«

»Don’t tell me you seriously took that raptor corpse with you on _my_ wagon and now expect us to _eat_ it!?« Rashim exclaimed in horror. Drako also made a face as if he’d rather not try this specific _delicacy_.

»By the gods, you are such _babies_! It’s food. Get by a few days without it and you’ll be _begging_ to eat that raptor corpse.« Ceyra cut in, as emotionally uninvested as ever.

»Additionally we can sell the skin for a good price in Kerven. Especially taxidermists are always interested to get some predators.«

»What’s a taxidermist?« Drako asked, which made me cringe. I doubted that it was a good idea to tell him what taxidermy was in general, since a kid could easily get nightmares from the prospect alone. If he would find out or not was not left up to me though, since Zev was very quick to answer that particular question.

»A taxidermist is a person who takes the corpses of dead animals and takes out everything that is inside them, just to stuff it with some other material and let it look like it is alive, though it is more an expensive souvenir than anything else.«

»Why would you do something like that!?« Drako asked a little disgusted. Zev shrugged.

»Some people actually like to have something like a raptor in their home and regard it as some sort of trophy. You’ll see it all the time in Nordberg since there are quite a lot of hunters there. Better get used to it.«

»No.« Drako just said and looked away.

»If you guys are so _reluctant_ on eating the meat of something that is dead anyway and wanted to eat us, then so be it. I can go out in the evening and see if I can find some animals out there which I can kill who seek shelter in these rocks.« Ceyra said.

»So, we will stay here for three days. Did I get that right?« Rashim asked a little insecure.

»That’s the plan.«

»I mean, that’s great and all, but I haven’t seen a drop of water nearby. At this rate we’ll die of thirst.«

»Now don’t be ridiculous. When the raptors roam here, then they eventually need to drink as well. There is bound to be some water around here.« Ceyra cut in and rolled her eyes. »Like seriously, do I have to think for _everyone_ here?«

»We should find the water then.« Drako cut in.

»Alright, pipsqueak, then you come with me this evening.« Ceyra said with a debatably friendly look. Drako cringed. He obviously did not want to go anywhere alone with Ceyra.

»Don’t worry Drako, I’ll come with you.«

»Yeah, because I’m not trustworthy.« Ceyra said sarcastically and then paused. »Actually, you have a point there. Fine, then come along. But save your own ass if we get attacked. Saving myself and the kid is bothersome enough already.«

»Duly noted.«

»Why do you want me to come along? Don’t you hate me?« Drako then asked.

»Tsk, I save hatred for those who deserve it, like the monarchy. You are just a slight annoyance. And you’re the only one of us who does not know how to find water in the desert, isn’t that right? If you go to Nordberg, then you’ll not get much opportunity to learn it, so you learn it now.«

»T-that’s actually very nice Thanks.«

»Completely self-beneficial. The less useless you are, the more likely we’ll survive this crap.«

»That’s not very nice.« Drako frowned.

»The truth isn’t always _nice_ , pipsqueak. Get used to it.«

»Anyways, Abira, make sure that you get the meat out of this thing cleanly. We cannot sell a messy looking corpse.« Elian said, to get back to the earlier topic.

»I’ll do my best. We need the money after all.« the elder camel replied grimly.

»So you’re in need of money?« Zev asked, seemingly a little surprised.

»Aren’t we all? Money is the real curse of this world we brought upon ourselves.« Elian replied.

»True words. Either you have it or you don’t. Having it will make your life a lot easier though.« Rashim said as he fed Korrul some hay.

»How do you get money?« Drako asked, which made me cringe a little. It is moments like this one where his heritage really showed. I did my best to ignore the question.

»Through work, moron.« Ceyra said and rolled her eyes.

»Then what do _you_ work as?« Drako asked challenging. Ceyra gave him a mischievous grin.

»Slitting people’s throats open and taking their money.«

»You’re an assassin?« Drako’s question did not just surprise me, but also the others.

»How do you know what an assassin is?« I asked. Probably Celli had spammed him with such knowledge. Damn her.

»There were stories about assassins in the books I had to read. Assassins are paid to kill people. Usually nobles, which lead to the civil war in Monabur in 534. King Valen of Santugan also was killed by an assassin in the war between Monabur and Santugan in 324 too. So they seem to be very common.«

Everyone stared at Drako.

»W-what?« Drako asked, suddenly insecure.

»If I would have known that Celli shoved such books in your face, I wouldn’t have let her babysit you.« I eventually said and shook my head.

»She said it was important to know about that stuff.« Drako mumbled.

»That babysitter apparently raised him to be a wandering history book.« Ceyra said and rolled her eyes.

»Apparently.« I just said. I really needed to have a serious talk with Drako over what was considered common knowledge for his age and what was not.

»So you are an assassin?« Drako said into the uncomfortable silence to Ceyra, who just shook her head.

»Nah. I’m not _hired_ to kill anyone. I just do so on my own. If someone _would_ hire me to do it though, I wouldn’t decline the offer.«

»That’s evil. You should not kill people!« Drako replied. He suddenly seemed to be angry, which made me bite my lip.

»Drako, that’s just how things are in Santugan. Don’t get too worked up about it.«

»Listen to your cousin, brat. There is no difference between _evil_ and _good_ after all.«

»There is! Good people are doing good things and evil people are doing bad things.« Drako argued.

»Let me give you an example, pipsqueak. Those raptors that attacked us last night were starving. They probably have wandered the desert for days without food. When they got the chance, they attacked us to get food to not starve to death. In their eyes, we are the evil ones for withholding the food and killing one of them. For us, they are the evil ones because they attacked us and killed one of us. Who is good and who is evil here, hmm?«

Drako had to think about that for a while and eventually shook his head.

»They are the evil ones because they are witless and do not think it is bad to kill someone. You can at least regret that you killed this raptor.«

»I don’t regret it though.« Ceyra said apathetically and shrugged.

»Then you’re evil.« Drako muttered.

 

……………………………………..

 

> ** _Drako_ **

I still thought that it was a bad idea to go _hunting_ with Ceyra. At least Terence also came with us. After the argument earlier about her being _evil_ I trusted her even less than before. While she _did_ remind me of Ray sometimes, she still was anything but her. Ceyra was a criminal. Worse yet, a murderer! I almost expected her to turn around in an instant and slit my throat open, as she had threatened she could do. I shuddered at the thought. I was not trying to escape Koruna just to be killed before even crossing the country’s border.

»Water usually collects at low points and in holes. Sometimes even in caves, but we were lucky enough that we found the one we did. So, let’s just keep an eye out. Maybe there even is an oasis beyond this stone crap.« Ceyra said, mainly to me, since Terence already knew how to find water.

»Okay, I’ll try.«

»Don’t _try_. _Do_ it. If you act without conviction you will not bring it anywhere in life.«

»O-okay.« Sometimes she confused me. One minute she was cursing and declared everyone else to be stupid and in the next she’d come with sentences like _this_ that even sounded kinda wise. At least coming from her.

»Are you sure that now really is the best time to go looking for water? It will be dark soon.« Terence said with a worried glance to the colorful sky.

»What? You’d prefer to walk around here in the heat of day when every predator can see you clearly? Everyone can see worst in twilight, so we’ll use it to our advantage.«

»But we also can’t see that good in twilight.« I remarked.

»You maybe can’t, but I can. First rule of Santugan: If you’re weak, create an advantage over everyone else to ensure your survival.«

»I don’t get why nothing is done about it. Santugan sounds like hell.« I said. The more I heard about it, the more I was convinced to never ever want to go there.

»Don’t ask me, ask the king.«

 _I would. Really, I_ would _. The request comes just a little bit too late._

»He’s busy doing what he can for the sake of the whole country already. He cannot do _everything_.« I said to defend my father. I didn’t like it when people talked bad about him since he really did his best to ensure that everyone lived in safety.

»Excuses! For him it’s more important to make deals with other cities and countries and to greet dignities than to do something about problems somewhere else in the country.«

»That’s not true!« Though it kind of was. I just hoped that something would be done about Santugan eventually.

»How would _you_ know?« Ceyra asked dismissingly.

»Ohm, I…guessed?« I lied.

»Then you’re awful at guessing.«

»As if you’d be any better! You have never even _seen_ the king!« One of her knives was at my throat in a second and I held my breath in shock.

»Watch your tongue, brat.« she said threatingly.

»Ceyra, take that knife away from my cousin’s neck this instant!« The knife levitated back into its sheath and the camel turned around again, muttering something about mages and forward brats. I breathed a sigh of relief once I was out of danger and gave Terence a thankful smile. I was really glad that he had come with us, otherwise I might be dead now.

»Do you think she wants to kill me?« I asked him.

»No, otherwise you would probably be dead already. She just wants to make you respect her or something.«

»Just to your information: This camel here has good working ears!« Ceyra spat with a glare which made both Terence and me shut up again. Instead we resumed to look for some water, though this was easier said than done. I would have used magic to find it, but I had not the slightest connection to water at all, so this was not an option.

»We should have just walked alongside the Deris to begin with, then we wouldn't have this water problem now!« I complained after we searched through every nook and cranny of yet another stone pillar. I had expected Ceyra to start yelling at me, but instead she paused.

»You're right, pipsqueak. I wonder why Elian didn't think of he river route.« she said thoughtfully.

»Maybe because there are bound to be criminals due to it being the most used path.« Terence said. »When I was traveling around with my parents as a kid they never took the Deris route because of that very reason. I guess Rashim and Zev didn't want to risk their wares getting stolen.«

»Yeah, and now one of us got eaten by raptors. I take stolen wares over the death of a caravan member any day!« Ceyra spat back. I had to agree with her there. Had we taken the river route, Haya would still be alive now.

»Maybe there even isn't any water here. And it's getting too dark anyway.« I added. Well, I could see in the dark, but Ceyra did not need to know that. Our situation still was anything than good. We were thirsty, Balint was injured and we were chased by raptors. It probably couldn't get any worse.

»There must be water! How else would these damn birds survive here?« Ceyra argued.

»Maybe it's as you said and there is an oasis outside of the labyrinth.« Terence suggested.

»But then we really would have searched this place here for nothing!« I was a little angry now. All this work for nothing!

»Now don't get cranky. We're not happy about that either.« Ceyra seethed, which made me shut up.

»Drako could be right though. And if there is no water here, then there is no use in keep searching for it. We should just be careful with the reserves we still have and search outside the labyrinth in the morning with Rashim. He can probably spot something from the sky.«

»What about the Raccardi? He could probably spot something too!« I threw in, since I didn't like how Terence and the others kept overlooking the poor little guy.

»You mean Emil? Pff, as if! He can hardly get off the ground. Flying up far enough to spot water would be next to impossible. I guess he's afraid of heights or something.«

This confused me. How could someone with wings be scared of heights? Then again, Raccardis were not the best fliers in general already, so it kind of made sense.

»He could still help!« I argued, since Emil was better fit for the desert climate than Rashim was.

»By the gods, kid! Emil is a Raccardi that was raised to help those who cannot do levitation magic, which is about seventy percent of Koruna's population. He is not practiced in flying or stuff like that. You could as well ask a _spoon_ to fly up there and search for water!« Ceyra said and rolled her eyes.

»A spoon doesn't have eyes or wings though.« I argued.

»It's a metaphor. Point is: Emil is like a tool. He's not suited for scouting missions.«

I really did not like that Ceyra thought of Emil as a tool, but a look to Terence told me that I should better drop the topic. Ceyra was kind of right after all. Raccardis were raised to serve, not to be independent or useful for much else. Talitha was a huge exception.

I was about to say something about Emil never learning to scout if he would not try, but a feeling in my gut stopped me from opening my mouth. Instead, I froze in my step and raised my head. A shadow jumped down from the stone pillar above to a path beyond the stone wall. I could have sworn that the silhouette had looked like a gazelle.

»Haya?« I asked out loud, which also made Ceyra and Terence halt and look up to the now empty stone pillar I was still looking at.

»She's dead, kid. You've probably just imagined things.« Ceyra said.

»There was someone and they jumped down on the other side.« I said and did my best to listen for sounds. Ceyra immediately tensed up and drew two of her knives.

»Alright, don't panic. What you saw was probably a raptor and we are already surrounded. If we run back to the cave now they will find out where the others are, so we cannot go back yet.«

»We cannot just stay here! We stand no chance against a pack of raptors!« Terence argued. I nodded my head in agreement. Going back to the cave sounded much safer than staying out here in the open.

»These beasts will try to separate us anyway, so the chance of all of us reaching the cave is slim. For now focus on staying together.«

Ceyra did not need to tell me that. Being separated from Terence was the last thing I wanted to do now after all. Sure enough we soon heard a sound that was unlike anything I have ever heard. A deep, throaty, vibrating curr. It was probably a raptor. I saw it long before Terence or Ceyra saw it and fixated my gaze on it. It came from the shadows of dusk and also was dark in appearance, which differentiated it from the other raptors I have seen so far. It felt like I had a knot in my guts the closer it came. Strangely enough I was not afraid as much as I probably should be. I was mostly confused by this strange feeling. What was it? Unease? The desire to bear my teeth and to hiss at it like a predator would, was very strong, but I resisted since I had been taught that those kinds of behavior were not suited for an equine. Just like growling it was something we had adapted from predators, but did not do naturally otherwise. Then again, the witless beast would probably not care much for manners. A voice in my head, like an instinct, told me though that a hiss would probably be understood as a threat, so it would attack me. This was the last thing I wanted. I just wanted to scare it away. I was thinking about trying to use my scary voice, or _fae voice_ , as Celestia has called it, but I couldn't do that as long as Ceyra was around. I made a step to the side and was surprised to see the raptor mimic my action. I made a step back to the other side and the animal mimicked me again like a mirror.

»I think it's after me.« I said quietly to Ceyra. She snorted.

»'Course it is. You're the weakest of us three.«

Now that was not fair. With my magic I was easily the strongest actually. But again, Ceyra did not need to know that. A plan formed in my head. An insane plan, but a plan anyways.

»If it is just after me, I could lure it away from you, couldn't I? You'd get back to the cave that way without being followed by raptors.« It was a _game_ I have played very very often with the guards in the streets of Monabur. The Central District was a labyrinth of its own, so this would just be a new one. Out of experience I knew to only go right and if I would be cornered, I could just use my magic to chase the raptors away. The catch was that I would not be able to get back to the cave this way. At least not until I was sure to have chased the raptors off.

»Don't be an idiot, kid. You'd be dead before we even get _close_ to the cave.« Ceyra said.

»I'm good at run and hide.«

»The raptors are better at it and faster«

»I doubt that.« I said quietly.

»Seriously, kid. That's a horrible idea. We'll be able to handle the raptors. We have also done it last time somehow.« Terence said.

»Yeah, with a distraction.« I argued.

»Volunteering as a distraction and therefore a raptor meal is not an option.« Ceyra said.

»Except that it is!« I said and jumped forward to the raptor. We did no have much time after all, since the raptors would not wait until we would finish our argument.

»You want me? Then get me!« I said as I made a pretty high jump that made me land on the raptor's back and jump off of it again. This caused the predator to fall over and hiss at me.

»Drako, come back here!« Terence yelled.

»Don't worry Terence, I'll be fine!« I yelled back before I galloped around the next corner. Sure enough even more raptors waited there for me. As soon as they saw me, they started charging with stretched out claws and terrifying screeches. I was starting to doubt my plan, but had no time to hesitate. I both called on my magic, as I had been taught in my magic lessons, and wished for it, which resulted in me throwing a wall of fire at the predators. They fled from the flames, which gave me the opportunity to dash past them through the fire, it would not harm me after all. Once the flames settled, the raptors let out battle cries and ran after me. They were pretty fast on their two legs and had caught up with me in a short time. I wished for the wind to aid me in running faster. It worked, but now I very clearly saw the difference to a few days ago when I had fled from the castle with this technique. I was getting weaker. Very soon this insane magic would be gone. I wondered with how much magic it would leave me eventually. Either way, I had no time to think about that now! After another corner I was surprised to see the open desert stretch out in front of me. I had expected the labyrinth to be bigger. A look back over my shoulder told me that my speed boost had not worked as good as I had hoped, since the raptors had nearly caught up with me now. Out of other options, I stopped and turned around, facing the beasts. I took a deep breath as I tried to remember how I had used the fae voice back in Monabur. Fear had been an important factor. Fear and desperation. I had plenty of both right now.

»S _t_ a _y_ b _a_ c _k_!« I hissed. This time I was just slightly startled by the sound of my voice since I had intended to use it. The raptors, on the other hand, jumped back in surprise and started to back away. I couldn't help but let a victorious grin creep on my face. I did not have much time to celebrate my victory though, because at that moment the dark feathered raptor appeared from the shadows and crept closer to me without hesitation. It didn't seem to be scared at all. This made me take a step back. Mum has always told me to not praise the day before evening. She had been right, like so often.

»S _T_ A _Y_ B _A_ C _K_!« I yelled in my fae voice and growled. The dark raptor made a sound that, if it would have been sentient, could have been interpreted as a laugh. Why wasn't it scared? I had a bad feeling about this. Upon further thought I realized that it was the same feeling of dread I have had earlier when I have seen the silhouette and the same feeling I have had last night before the raptors have attacked.

I wanted to jump at its throat and tear it into pieces until nothing was left of the creature. I wanted it to suffer. I wanted...

No. I could not _want_ this. This was barbaric, even when this was just a witless creature. How could I even _think_ about stuff like that without being scared or disgusted? A small voice inside of me seemed to whisper those things to me, but I shushed it. Stupid voice. What the others had said about fae came flooding back to me.

Fae were nothing but evil. There yet needed to be seen a _nice_ fae. They were all monsters. Killers.

No, those things must have just gotten to me and now I was imagining things. Yes, that must be it!

My process of thought was interrupted by a screech, that made me look ahead again. The pack of raptors, lead by the dark one, has circled me, so that there was no way of escape anymore. However, it seemed as if the others were waiting for orders of the dark one. It must be the leader of the pack. I hissed at it. Of course it would not see through my illusion spell, but since the sun had set I did have fangs as well, illusion spell or not. The dark one looked at me for a moment with eyes that seemed to understand me more than a witless creature should be able to understand from a person. Then it threw its head back and made this laugh-like sound again.

At first I thought that I was imagining things, but soon enough I realized that my eyes were not playing a trick on me, but that the raptor's front legs really _were_ growing longer. The feathers disappeared from its body and were replaced by thick black fur. Its yellow eyes stayed yellow while its face became thicker and smaller, taking a feline shape. Before I knew it I stood in front of a create unlike anything I have ever seen. The face like that of a leopard, but it was so dark, that the spots were barely visible on it. Its eyes had slitted pupils, two curled horns graced its head and its ears were longer, almost like those of a caracal. While its head was clearly feline, the rest of its body was not. Its legs were thin and long, ending in split hooves like a gazelle's. Its tail was like a lion's though, just longer and with more fur at the end. What its main body was I did not know. Just neither cervine nor feline.

To say that I was shocked would have been the underestimation of the century. My heart was stopping for a moment and my whole body completely froze up. Just _what_ was that creature and how could it transform from a raptor to a…well, to _this_?! I had many questions but now was not the time for getting answers to them. _Now_ , was the time to run away as fast as possible.

»Impressed?« The creature asked in a voice that sounded slightly more female than male, but had a twisted tone to it that made it hard to believe that this really was a female. When it spoke I could see rows of sharp teeth glistering in its mouth, much like those of a velociraptor.

I turned to run away, but the raptors blocked my way, hissing at me when I tried to get past them. I stumbled back to prevent being hurt like Balint too. If my magic was getting weaker, then the incredible healing powers I have had before would be weaker as well. I did not plan to get eaten.

»How rude. And there I thought we could have a conversation.« the female creature said behind me. I turned around again and gulped.

»How can a demon like you control these raptors?« I asked. The creature being a demon was the only thing that made sense. I have heard that demons were often horned and looked weird. Either from coloration or body structure, or both. As for this creature, _everything_ seemed to be wrong with it and that scared me.

Again, the creature laughed, but this time it was the laugh of a voice from a sentient creature. I could not tell which laugh sounded more scary. This or the one when it still had been a raptor.

»How surprising, I thought you would ask me about what I am. But I guess one can be explained with the other. I am no lowly demon, but a changeling. I can change myself into a raptor at will and since I outsmart those witless beasts, I became their alpha. It took some patience and work to learn their language, but after a few years I managed, so now they listen to me. But animals stay animals and they are hungry, so I cannot guarantee that they will leave you be for very long, little fae.«

I had thought something earlier about things not being able to get worse, hadn't I? I should not jinx fate like that, I guess, because karma apparently loves to prove me wrong.

»I'm not fae.« I said, even though it was a lie.

»And I'm the queen of Monabur.« the changeling said with a roll of her eyes. I growled.

»Your raptors shouldn't be hungry. They ate Haya yesterday.« I said instead. The changeling laughed, which made me even angrier.

»You mean _this_ gazelle?« she asked and before I could even blink, the dark furred creature had disappeared. Instead, Haya stood in her place.

»What did you do to her?« I asked suspiciously.

»What _I_ did? Well, I did take on a round of acting to lure my prey in. Unfortunately it did not work very well since that camel can handle his sword quite well. You know, camel flesh tastes quite good. Especially when you had to live form those second class meals for weeks.«

At first I did not understand what she meant, but then I realized what was going on here.

»You disguised as Haya to trick us.« I concluded.

»There never was a gazelle named Haya. Well, I mean, there might be one somewhere in Mereldia, but you have never gotten to know her.« A grin that made me despise her even more crept on her face.

»I hate to kill a fellow fae, especially such a cute kid, but that's life. The strong prey on the weak.«

»I'm not weak!« I yelled and threw a streak of fire at the changeling. She jumped back from it, but minded it less than the raptors did.

»Even if you are fae, you are just a kid. You might play all big and mighty now, but you'll grow tired eventually.«

I hoped that this would not happen. Either way I was screwed. If I would get away, she could just disguise as Haya, saying she had survived after all and declare me a fae. The caravan would turn against me and Terence then and we would never get to Kerven, let alone Nordberg. If I would not get away though, then I would get eaten. Neither of those options seemed good.

As one of the raptors suddenly fell over and as I saw a knife piercing its head, I realized that there was a third option.

The changeling turned around immediately, which I used as my chance to wish for the sand to wrap around her legs and harden, so that she could not get away. When she realized that, she tried to forcefully pull herself out, but I already threw fire at her. However, it just hit an invisible shield. Meanwhile the changeling shifted from the form of Haya to another shape, this time a small bird. With this form it was easy for her to get free. A moment later she had shifted into the dark feathered raptor again and started to make sounds. It seemed to be some form of speech, because the raptors, who had also been distracted by the knife Ceyra had thrown, shifted their attention back to me and hissed.

»What the hell are you doing, brat?! Run!« Ceyra yelled. I did not object at all. I pushed two raptors out of the way by summoning a strong wind and ran back to the labyrinth. I had not used _that_ much magic yet, but I could still already feel how it was tiring me out. Unfortunately, the raptors were faster than me and brought me down. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. One must have bitten me. I did my best not to scream, since I knew that it would just get worse if I would pay attention to the pain. Instead I did something I have never done before but have always wanted to try out. I set myself on fire. The raptors immediately jumped back and I got the time to get to my legs and stumble forward. They wouldn't let me get away that easily though. I was hurt and therefore could not run very fast. The flames also did not hold long since they quickly became too hot, even for me. I really needed to learn to control my magic better. If I would ever get the chance to it that was.

 _Don't jinx it, you idiot!_ I told myself immediately and gritted my teeth.

I saw another knife flying and heard a raptor screech behind me. The sound was terrifying. Another raptor attacked me and I ducked my head, which let it miss my neck by only a few centimeters and stumble over my head. Both the raptor and I fell to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I could see something red in the sand. Was it blood? I had been injured that badly? Was it from the raptor? But when I looked at it I saw that it was not blood, but a big round ruby with a golden wave around it. My necklace!

»Oh, by Cynfor!« I cursed and made a jump for the precious piece of jewelry. The changeling was faster though. She changed back to her original form and grabbed the ruby with her magic.

»This is quite a valuable gem, is it not? Ah, yes. Many spells can be stored in it and some very powerful ones are in it already. This is nothing for a mere kid like you.«

»Give it back! It's mine!« I said and tried to snatch it away from the other fae. She held it out of my reach though and my levitation magic was not strong enough to overcome hers.

»Finders keepers, losers weepers.« she said with a smile. Words could not express how much I hated her. The thoughts of killing her painfully came back to my mind and I had to admit that I allowed some of them to draw ugly pictures of a mangled changeling into my head.

»Now don't go there, little Seelie. You are way too young to be caught in the hostility of the courts.« I had not the slightest idea what she was talking about. But wait, I did. Zev had mentioned something about Seelie and Unseelie. But what was that about a court? I knew what court was, father had explained it to me very often. Holding court meant for the people to come to the castle and asking the king for things, or negotiating with him. I did not see how this had anything to do with hostility or with fae though.

Either way, this did not matter right now. I needed to get my necklace back. The more I tried to reach it though the weaker my magic became. I knew from books that an S-Class mage could hold out for about half an hour in an intense battle. If I was on that level now, then I already had spend about half of that.

»G _i_ v _e_ i _t_ b _a_ c _k_!« I yelled and this time was startled again by my fae voice, since I had not intentionally used it. The changeling seemed unfazed though. She just laughed. It was in that moment that a raptor brought me to the ground again. I had been too distracted. It didn't kill me though, it just bit me in the already injured shoulder and kept me on the ground this way.

»Hmm, now that I really look at you I see a certain kind of familiarity. Black coat, flame markings on the legs, glowing eyes, fangs, magic. You are very obviously the one on which's head a lot of money is set. You see, I am very interested in money, so I'd rather keep you alive than to-« A knife hit her side. I used that moment to set myself on fire again, so that the raptor would let go. Instead of running though I snatched for my necklace again, though it was still out of reach.

To my surprise I was suddenly pulled away forcefully by magic.

»I changed my mind: you are the most annoying brat I have ever met.« Ceyra muttered irritated and angry.

»No, my necklace!« I yelled and struggled to get free, but to no avail. The injury hurt too much that I could concentrate on magic and I felt pretty drained anyway. My eyes kept fixated on the shimmering ruby and I kept struggling while being dragged away. The changeling meanwhile yelled in fury when she fell to the ground. One of her legs had gotten lame. Maybe broken, maybe paralyzed. In any case she did not follow us. Which did not mean that the raptors didn't. Ceyra already had to carry me, so she wouldn't have enough magic left to throw her knives. Out of desperation I did the only thing I could think of: letting one of the stone pillars fall over and block the raptors' path. Infuriated screeches cold be heard from beyond the stone rubble, but they grew more quiet as we distanced ourselves from them. Ceyra had meanwhile slumped me over her back and was galloping through the labyrinth.

»Where are we going? We can't go back to the cave now, not without my necklace!« I was too weak to cast an illusion spell on my cloak right now and I certainly could not look like this.

»Shut up about that stupid necklace! We'll go to another cave. I found it coincidentally earlier, but it was too small for the whole caravan, so I dismissed it.«

»The necklace is important! I need the spells that are on it and it's a gift from my sister!«

»That _thing_ has the necklace now though and you're injured. Game over, kid.«

»That's not fair!«

»Shut up. We'll get it tomorrow. At first you have some explaining to do.« she said and slowed down her pace. Then she unceremoniously dropped me in front of a cave entrance. I looked at my legs and bit my lip. Ceyra had knives, was at an advantage and she was a criminal. There was no way she _just_ wanted to understand the situation. She was after the money.

After I stayed silent for a little too long, Ceyra bit me in the neck and dragged me into the cave.

»Ow, ow, ow! Are you crazy!? I'm injured!« I protested immediately. She dropped me when we were a few meters into the dark.

»No, you're not. The bleeding has stopped already.« she said unimpressed. I was about to protest again when I took a look at my shoulder myself. Due to the angle it was hard to see, but it really seemed like it was healing. I sighed in relief. So my healing magic still worked.

»Where is Terence?« I asked to deviate from the topic of my appearance.

»With the others. He sealed the entrance until morning to keep everyone safe from he raptors, so we couldn't get back in there even if we wanted.«

»Then why did you come back for me?«

»Because Terence begged me to and because I'm not letting a kid die because he had an incredible stupid idea. Enough of the niceties now though.« A knife hovered to my throat and I knew that this time she was not just kidding. The iron touched my skin and I had to muster up every piece of will I had left to not flinch, since this would hurt me. I instead expressed my pain through crying, which accompanied the slightly hissing sound that my skin gave of as it was burned.

»Please no iron.« I begged in a pleading and painful voice. Ray would have called me a wimp now, but I couldn't help it. The iron just hurt way too much! This would not end well. Maybe I would already die here. It certainly had been a short journey. I looked Ceyra in the eyes, but quickly looked away again since I saw nothing but hatred.

Everyone hates fae.

_And I hate every mortal._

The knife clattered to the ground.


	14. Deal with Danger

** Chapter 13 **

* * *

**Deal with Danger**

_26 th \- 27th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

> ** _Drako_ **

My hooves made shuffling noises on the ground as I hastily backed away from Ceyra. The magic I had used to keep her knife away from me and throw it on the ground had been a moment of panic. My thoughts had betrayed me once again, thinking about things I did not want to think about and drawing pictures in my head that would surely give me nightmares later.

»N-no iron. Please, I’ll tell you everything. But no iron.« I said, as I backed away further. Ceyra scowled and raised her knife again, but only to put it back into its sheath.

»On the first sign of a suspicious move, it will be on your neck again.« she said without any sympathy or regret in her voice. All I could do was nod slowly.

»Do you follow The Book of Prayer?« I asked. It was worth a try. Contempt was seen in Ceyra’s eyes.

»I have once, but that did not bring me anywhere. It contradicts itself anyway when it comes to Santugan, telling you that you should worship the king of Koruna, even though he has brought the criminals to the city of blood to begin with. I learned to question the Book of Prayers. It is just a fancy history book with some fairy tales mixed in. Either way, I don’t see why that would have anything to do with _this_.« she said and looked me up and down, obviously indicating my looks. I gulped.

»Well, it’s a long story.« I said a little insecure. Ceyra seemed to hate me even more now than before I lost my necklace. If she would find out that I was related to the king she so much hated – it hadn’t been my father who brought the criminals to Monabur, that had been king Baalis seven hundred years ago – I didn’t know if those iron knives of hers really would stay in their sheaths.

»Then make it quick. I don’t have the whole damn night.« Ceyra hissed impatiently.

She wanted the quick version? Well then.

»I am Draco Keryth Alberetti, prince of Koruna. My sister and I were in the palace when the fire started. The ceiling collapsed and separated us and she claims to have seen me get killed. I don’t know how I died or who killed me, but with everyone seeing me exit the palace they spread stories, leaving Celestia no other choice than to research the topic. Now my father has money set on my head and I have to flee the country. Short enough for you?«

I don’t know what it was, but I had grown more and more angry the more I told. Probably because the situation was frustrating. I hadn’t done anything wrong!

Ceyra just stared at me for a while with wide eyes, apparently having expected something else.

»You’re bluffing.« she then said with thin eyes and drew one of her knives. I panicked.

»No, I swear! It’s true! The necklace this fae stole from me is from the Royal Treasury! It’s worth millions of Vend or something like that. Only a royal could own something like that, right?«

Ceyra’s glare did not waver.

»Or a thief. Trust me kiddo, I have my history and experience with thievery.«

»I’m not a thief!« Well, except that one time when I had stolen an apple from the market.

»Everyone can be a thief, though not everyone is a successful one. But if you’re an opportunist you can get about anything. The necklace does not prove your case. But you know what _is_ a fact? That there is a ton lot of money set on your pretty little head.«

»But I didn’t-«

»I don’t care. The problem is that this monster creature wants to sell you out too and she certainly does not look like someone who fancies sharing.«

»I’m not some sort of sellable object!«

»Oh yes, you are. From the moment a bounty has been set on you, you have become a simple mean to make quick money. Trust me if I say that this creature and I are not the only ones who are after that.«

»So if that creature would be out of the way, you’d have no one to fight with over the bounty. For now.« I concluded, a plan forming inside my head. Ceyra gave a cruel little laugh.

»That is true, but that wouldn’t really be to your advantage, would it?«

»Having a second class criminal hunt me is better than being hunted by a fae.«

»You take that _second class_ back right this instant, you little shit.« Ceyra said and drew one of her knives. I probably had gone a little too far.

»If you’d be a first class criminal, wouldn’t you get that fae out of the way so only you can get the money?«

»I can see what you’re trying to do here, kid, and it’s not going to work. You want me to slay that thing so you can get your necklace back and once you have it, you make it so that I cannot sell you.«

_Damn it._

»But do the authorities know about the illusion spell? If they don’t, then I can escape again after you got your money and then you can even resell me, getting double the amount.« It was just a thought that had occurred to me, based on something Ray, Rylon and I had talked about once. Rylon’s family did not have enough money to send him to military training someday as he so much wanted, so we had made the plan of one of us pretending to be a criminal and getting caught, so Rylon would get the money for that, and then we would escape again. In the end Rylon had chickened out, so we never tried it, but now that I had an illusion spell, it could very well work.

Ceyra seemed to ponder my suggestion for a bit.

»If you can actually pull this off, it really sounds like a solid plan. Counting on the authorities to pay me right then and there.«

»Do we have a deal then? You get my necklace back and in turn I’ll help you get the money you want.«

»Deal, though I still don’t believe you to be the Prince of Koruna. Not with such a criminal attitude.«

I frowned. »Then don’t believe it. I basically don’t live anymore anyway. Just get my necklace back.«

»Tomorrow.«

»But they could be far away by then! We have to-«

»Tomorrow. No compromises.«

I sighed. »Okay, tomorrow. But _early_ tomorrow!«

»Fine.«

 

……………………………………..

 

I woke up with my vision blurry and my hearing off. For some reason the memory of something, that had hurt like hell, was ingrained in my head, but when I tried to locate the aching part of my body, I felt no pain at all. It was gone. I raised my head and felt my vision returning to me, also when it cost me a slight headache. I could see a wooden door and hay, which was weird. I couldn’t remember the cave to have anything like that. I jumped to my legs when a startling realization hit me: I had been kidnapped!

Now that I took in my surroundings more thoroughly, I saw that I was in what seemed to be a stable. Odd. Had someone mistaken me for a witless? Actually, that was impossible. I had worn a cloak. This only left one grim conclusion.

This was a slave market.

The memory of pain suddenly made sense and I took an alarming look at my right shoulder. I could see some hair missing, but other than that, it looked untouched. I breathed a sigh of belief. They had branded me, but the brand had healed.

_Thank you, great gods, for letting me keep my healing powers._

I had often seen slave markets and even had tried to free slaves once, but that had only been Raccardis, not, well, _those_ kind of slaves. I had no idea how to break the lock. Then I realized that I didn’t have to. Since wood and hay was highly flammable, and I didn’t want to burn down the whole stable, I would just use the other elements. After all, I had moved a giant boulder just the previous evening. Then I could very well open a damned wooden door.

»That won’t open. And if you try they’ll hurt you.« a voice suddenly said behind me, starling me out of my concentration and making me turn around.

There, almost perfectly camouflaged in the yellow hay, lay a palomino filly with a nasty looking gash above her right eye.

»You’re hurt.« I said worried, forgetting my plan to break open the door for the moment. I wondered if I could heal her injury.

»The slave drivers did it. They are not nice.« she said. I laid down in front of her.

»Hold still for a moment.« I said, since I didn’t know if it would even work. I wished for the elements to heal her injury, no matter which element. Light, air, fire, earth. I called out to all of them. When I opened my eyes again, the filly’s wound was gone. I smiled.

»Ok, all better now.« I said, and was impressed with myself that it had worked. Healing spells were supposed to be very difficult to master after all. The filly looked at me with wide eyes.

»Don’t let them know you can do magic.« she whispered in a slight panic.

»There was this half demon fox who could do magic and they made him wear a special collar and then he couldn’t do magic anymore.«

»That’s impossible. There is nothing that can block magic.« I countered. Or if there was, I have never heard of it. But the filly nodded.

»There is! It’s from Eriwon. They invented it to keep the ones with demon blood in check. But I don’t think they are allowed to do that because there once was a Pegasus who complained about not being able to fly because of the collar and a buyer heard that and got really mad.«

»So this really is a slave market?« I asked and looked at the filly’s right shoulder. A brand could be seen there in the form of the emblem of Koruna. I thought I was gonna be sick.

She nodded.

»Do you know how I got here? The last thing I remember is being in a cave in some stone labyrinth. I have been separated from my caravan.«

»I don’t know. They never let us out, but I sometimes see groups of people leave the village. I heard they look for lost people and catch them with something that makes them sleep. Then they bring them here. They usually only take children though, so your caravan is probably safe.«

So Ceyra might still be out there. And by the gods, she _really_ wanted that bounty money. My chances were good that she’d get me out of here.

»You said ›village‹. There is no village marked on any maps close to the labyrinth.«

»It’s a secret village just built for slavery. It is hidden from the cities, so that guards don’t find it. Only criminals know about this place.«

»And what about that thing that makes one sleep? How long have I been asleep?«

»A few hours. It’s noon now.«

That long already?! Terence must be worried sick by now!

»They will come soon to check on you and to give us bridles.« she added.

»You sound like you’ve been here for a while, why don’t you have one?«

»I’ve only been here for a week or two and they were out of bridles. But they got a delivery from Eriwon this morning, and they probably have them sorted by now, so they’ll go around soon and give them to every equine who does not have one yet.«

»We need to get out of here.«

»We can’t! Even if we get out, there are raptors outside!«

»Raptors? Is there a black one too?«

»I don’t know. I just know that there are raptors. I saw them when they brought me in because I woke up earlier than they expected.«

»So you know the way out of here?«

»Yes, but there are raptors! We are safer in here.«

»If we stay in here, we will never get out again. We can get past those raptors. I’ll just set them on fire or let them sink into the ground or something.«

»You could do that?« Her eyes became huge with amazement again.

»Maybe. My magic is getting weaker each day, so we have no time to lose.« I muttered.

»I’m Sala by the way. What’s your name?«

»Drako.« I said and as expected, Sala reacted with a wide eyed stare again. I was used to this reaction by now.

»The same name as the prince?« she asked.

»The same name as the dead prince, yes.« I muttered.

»Wait, he is dead!?« Sala asked in shock.

Right, if she has been in slavery for over a week already, she probably did not hear news very easily, especially not in this part of Koruna.

»Yeah. On Summer Solstice, the palace started burning and the prince was caught in the fire. I left Monabur shortly after it happened.«

»That’s horrible.« Sala said with a sniffle and started crying.

_Oh gods, no. Not this again!_

It felt very weird to see someone crying over my death when I was sitting right in front of them. With Prech it had been one thing, since she was my sister, but with a complete stranger it just felt weird.

»But, they are not sure if the prince really is dead.« I therefore quickly said to calm the filly down.

»Last thing I heard he was pretty dead.« A voice suddenly said from the stable aisle. I jumped up immediately and turned towards the wooden door, ready to fight if needed. The door opened and a black feathered gryphon stood in the doorway. He had one wing slightly extended and thrown a few bridles over it, while he opened the stable door with his claws.

»But idle chatter is not of your concern anymore. Now you two behave or you’ll regret it.« the avian feline snarled with contempt and annoyance apparent in his voice. I gulped. I would have preferred to be stuck with Ceyra and Zev right now instead of facing this unfriendly person. It took all my concentration to not give a remark to what he just said.

Sala meanwhile stood up and made a few hesitant steps forward, her legs shivering. Now that she was standing, I could see that there were several whip marks on her legs. I clenched my teeth and glared at the gryphon. Had he done that?

Sala’s approach was too slow in the gryphon’s opinion, so he made a step into the stall, grabbed her by the neck and pulled her to him. Sala gave a surprised yelp and a hurtful whimper as his claws dug into the flesh of her neck and he forced the metal of the bridle into her mouth.

The only reason I stood there and didn’t do anything was because I was in shock. I had never seen such cruelty being committed towards a child before. I felt also my legs beginning to slightly shiver at the sight.

It had not taken long for the gryphon to put the bridle on Sala and push her back. She immediately retreated to the corner of the stall she previously had also been lying in. Then the gryphon turned towards me. When I didn’t bother to move even an inch, he attempted to also grab me by the neck like he had grabbed Sala before. Some instinct seemed to fall into place right at this moment, so that I automatically dodged and bolted to the other side. I also found my glare back, which I now threw at the black gryphon.

»You little piece of shit. Hold still!« he yelled angrily. I, in turn, looked at the bridle he held in his claws. The shimmering metal caught my eye and my reaction suddenly made sense. Iron. I could smell it. No way in the netherworld would I let that be shoved into my mouth!

I lowered my head into a protective pose and growled a little. The gryphon attempted to grab me again, but I was avoiding him as gracefully as a snake. Or he was just pretty bad at this game of catch.

Due to the gryphon jumping around like crazy, I eventually saw an opening and took it, dashing out of the stall into the stable aisle. At this moment, I could have dashed through the open door into the village Sala had talked about and attempted to flee, but seeing all the stalls with kids like me in them made me rethink that. I couldn’t just leave all of them here. That wouldn’t be fair.

My moment of consideration was enough for the black gryphon to storm out of the stall and grab me by a leg on which he immediately pulled. I fell to the ground and hit the ground hard with the head. It hurt like crap. Only a second later I could feel my mouth being forced open by the gryphon’s claws and my first instinct was to bit down on them. Before I could do so, the iron was shoved inside my mouth and biting down turned to be the worst option. I heard the hissing sound immediately and felt the unimaginable pain soon after.

To the netherworld with ›not showing that I could do magic‹! I yanked the bridle with the mouthpiece away and threw it on the wall while simultaneously pushing the gryphon away from me. I coughed and gagged, longing for water. It was way worse than eating incredibly spicy food. It was like my tongue was burning off. I saw a tank of water nearby and without hesitation dashed to it, putting my whole head into it. I didn’t care that I looked ridiculous and like an animal right now. The pain was too bad to care for anything. To my disappointment, the water did not help at all. I emerged from the not so cool wet again and immediately was tackled to the ground once more. I wanted to speak, wanted to yell, but my tongue hurt too bad to be able to form words. It left me no choice.

 _»No iron!«_ I begged in thoughts to the one who was holding me down, apparently someone else than the black gryphon, since I now could see brown feathers in the corner of my vision.

»That’s a fae!« the one holding me down yelled to the others. I was certainly done for.

»Like that wanted murderer?« another voice asked immediately.

»Yeah. Might bring a hell lot of money. People like exotics like him.«

»Iron seems to burn him though, so he’s a damaged good now.«

»Fae are immortal. He’ll heal. Just use a copper bridle.«

If my mouth didn’t hurt as much as it did, I would have probably put up more of a fight, but as things were, I just didn’t have the concentration left to do much else than trying to ignore the pain. I was eventually forced to wear a bridle with a copper mouth piece that therefore didn’t burn me and also a collar that would prevent me from using magic. Great.

The only thing I could do now was praying to the gods that Ceyra had some kind of plan to bust me out of here. I doubted that she would care about the others though. I was the precious _good_. It was quite insulting to be called that.

I was the prince of Koruna, kin of Cynfor and close to the gods. I was the heir of the throne! I was…nothing of that anymore. I was dead. Gone. It was funny, really. When I had been the prince of Koruna, I had always wanted to be someone else, someone normal. But now that I was normal, I just wanted to be the prince again. I missed the authority I have had to just command people around and get favors or avoid complications this way. I bet the slave drivers would have let me go if they would have known who I was. But I was a nobody now. Just Drako without a last name.

 

After getting my bridle I had been put into another stall where I was alone. The loneliness unnerved me. I needed someone, anyone, to talk to. I laid down with my back towards the door and buried my legs in the hay. When I closed my eyes now and if no one would remember that the colt in this stall was supposed to be of chestnut color, then no one would notice the change to my night form.


	15. From Prince to Slave

** Chapter 14 **

* * *

**From Prince to Slave**

_27 th – 28th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

> ** _Drako_ **

As I lied in the spiky hay of the stall, the day went by. The bridle was anything but comfortable and the copper in my mouth lay on my still burning tongue. I was hungry. Did they even give slaves something to eat or were they left to starve? I thought back to when I had met Prech the last time in the palace’s garden where she had given me her dinner plate. The food had tasted so good and even back then I had been sure that I wouldn’t taste anything that good for a long time. I had been right. When worst came to worst, I might even eat the hay, but I needed to grow even hungrier to take such drastic actions.

I waited, even though I was not sure what I was waiting for. A Rescue? Food? Someone to drag me out of here to put me on the market? Please anything but the latter! Even though I tried to fight it, I couldn’t help but cry silently. This was all too much at once. While there was a slight hope of rescue, it was still a situation of desperation.

 

The day ended and the sun set without anything happening. I kept hearing a lot of noise from outside the stable. Apparently, the slave market was right in this so called »village«. Over the whole day, I have heard the sounds of crying children, and people shouting offers. It was disgusting.

Now, as the sun had set, everything seemed to settle down though. The buyers left and the crying of the slaves stopped. They were probably put back in their stables too. Maybe there were a lot of them here, like on farms. I have never seen a farm, but I have read about them.

At this moment, willing to cling to every little hope, I decided that I would see a _real_ farm. There were farms in Nordberg, so I was bound to see some when I got there with Terence. I couldn’t allow myself to lose the faith of getting there eventually.

 

My fur had shifted to its black colour, but no one had been there to notice it. With my night form, I felt stronger than before. The collar around my neck didn’t seem to have been made with a fae in mind. When I tried to cast magic, I managed to lift some hay up from the ground. My magic had significantly weakened through the collar, yes, but it would still be enough to at least open the clutch that held it secured.

The leather band with the magic blocking gems fell into the hay and I grinned as I felt my magic start to flow through me again like a stream that had been blocked but was now free to flow once more. It felt amazing. But I urged myself to wait. The market had just ended, so most people of this »village« would still be awake. Patience was of the essence. Once most would be asleep, I would break out of this stall and try to also free the others. I wouldn’t be able to free everyone, but at least those that were in this stable. Once we fled I would somehow get my necklace back from the changeling. And after that we would all get to Kerven and tell the authorities about the slave village, so that they could end those doings.

I had to admit, that the changeling was still a severe problem, but getting out of here had to have a priority. But then what? She and the raptors would kill the others that would escape with me. No, I really needed a plan! I gritted my teeth in frustration. But when I felt the metal piece in my mouth it hit me.

The bridle!

If I would manage to get a bridle with an iron mouthpiece and put it on the changeling, it wouldn’t be able to do much since the iron would prevent her from transforming. Then I could get my necklace and we could all return to the caravan!

A grin spread itself on my face again. Then there also was the deal with Ceyra. If we would work together, we surely would be able to get the changeling down. Not necessarily kill it, as Ceyra seemed to desire to do, but to distract her enough to get my necklace back. Maybe it was because I had felt iron on my tongue myself, but I decided that an iron bridle was punishment enough.

 

The noises around me grew more quiet by the minute and after a while I even heard slight snoring coming out from one of the stalls. To better be safe than sorry, I waited a while longer than I would actually have to. I had no idea what time it was, but eventually, I decided to set my plan into motion with using as little magic as necessary. I laid an illusion spell on the bridle and with that regained my fully black coat and my golden, not glowing eyes. I would attract less attention this way.

I then proceeded to work on the lock, being as silent as possible, as I tried to shove the bar open with air magic. I was afraid that the hinges would make a noise, so I wished for the air to mute the sound. As I pushed the stall’s door open I was startled when it made a silent squeak. Apparently, my magic powers were getting weaker very rapidly at this point. Well, it had already been a week or so since Summer Solstice after all. I prayed that no guard had heard it and walked into the stable aisle on silent hooves. I walked up the aisle to the end of the stable and opened one stall door after another. One by one, also the occupants of said stalls woke up and started to realize what was going on.

When I was at Sala’s stall and opened it, the filly was already awake, seemingly having felt the pressure in the air. She looked at me with big scared eyes and for a moment I feared my illusion spell to have faltered.

»We’ll never be able to get out of here alive. The raptors will get us.« she whispered anxiously. She seemed to be excessively afraid of the raptors. Not that I would put it past her, especially after making own experiences with them.

»There is no other way. Once we’re sold, that’s it. My caravan is nearby and we’re on our way to Kerven. I’m sure we can all make it there.« I whispered, while throwing an anxious glance back, checking that there was still no guard around.

The filly shook her head. »I can’t.«

»Yes, you can. Now get up, we don’t have much time.« I urged and left her stall again to open the other stall doors. As I stood at the stable’s big wooden doors, I looked behind me to see who all wanted to flee with me. Everyone, even Sala, stood in the aisle. I grinned.

_Alright, now to the tricky part._

I tried to sense the door with my magic, finding it incredibly hard to do so. As I expected, there was a lock on it from the outside. Slowly and carefully I broke it open with magic. As I heard the sound of a lock falling to the ground outside, I opened one of the two doors a little to glance outside. Everything seemed empty.

»The coast is clear.« I whispered and opened the stable door completely. I set my hooves down as silently as possible as I stepped out of the stable and finally could breathe fresh air again. After a few meters I looked back again and saw that everyone was following me.

It was not the first time that I was put in the role of the leader, but it certainly was the first time that the mission I lead was of such crucial importance. Depending on how things went, failure might even be lethal. I tried not to think about it.

When I, closely followed by the others, reached the corner of a building, I carefully peeked around the edge and immediately drew my head back.

There were two guards. Two gryphons at that, of which neither looked particularly friendly. How did one get past them?

I noticed how the shine of a torch that let the shadow of a fence dance on the building’s wall opposite to it. For some reason, something Celestia had once told me popped into my head again.

_Light and Darkness are closely related. Without light, there cannot be darkness and without darkness there cannot be light. Sometimes the darkness lets itself be manipulated by only using light. Like a shadow for example. It would not be there without light._

A grin spread across my face as I got an idea. I might not be able to manipulate the darkness, but I could very well manipulate the light. I prayed to still have enough magic power for it and that the gods would answer my wish as I concentrated on the wall. Soon after, a shadow that resembled a hastily trotting foal was seen on that very wall, and gone as soon as it moved out of the light. The guards had seen it and immediately walked into the direction the non-existent foal had gone to.

It worked. It really had worked!

While the guards were busy on the other side of the building, searching for someone who wasn’t there, we silently continued our escape to the gate that would grant us freedom.

We had more luck than wit in the end, since the gate to the outside was located not far from the stable we had stayed in. It was guarded by a camel and a Pegasus stallion, both not looking like it would be the best not to tangle with them.

At this point it was more a hope than a certainty that my magic would work, so I sent another prayer to heaven now.

_Dear almighty gods, please, I beg you, let this work._

A bucket fell from a barrel nearby, drawing both the guards’ attention, but just he camel went there to investigate, while the Pegasus stallion stayed where he was. Little did he know that a wooden plank was floating up right behind his head and then smacked down on him hard. He immediately fell to the ground. Definitely out. His camel partner turned around at the noise, but before he could raise alarm, a wooden plank also smacked him on the back of his head, knocking him out. I quickly looked left and right to make sure that there were no other guards around and then hastily proceeded, opening the wooden gate that lead to freedom.

Before us was the nightly desert. Just the desert for presumably miles and miles. The others stormed outside into freedom while I waited by the gate to make sure everyone got out.

»Slaves escaping! Catch them!« a voice suddenly called from above. I went pale as I looked up. A gryphess circled above and seemingly had done so the whole time already. By the gods, why had I not noticed this!? If they would come after us now, they would catch us. Some, like Sala, were hurt and couldn’t run fast. Adults were faster than us kids anyway.

I did the only thing logical to me. I positioned myself in the middle of the open gate, facing the oncoming slave vendors.

»Follow the North Star!« I yelled to the others while I glared at what was approaching me. I could have fled. I could have been the lone escapee of this daring mission, but I knew this wasn’t right and the only way to get them all to safety was to hold up those who were pursuing them.

When the guards, slave vendors, criminals, whoever they were, tried to get past me, I lowered my head, letting my illusion spell drop and growled. They stopped dead in their tracks with scared eyes. My glare didn’t falter, though I couldn’t deny some slight amusement at the sight of dangerous criminals fearing _me_.

»N _o_ t _o_ n _e_ s _t_ e _p_ c _l_ o _s_ e _r_ , o _r_ y _o_ u’ _r_ e _g_ o _n_ n _a_ r _e_ g _r_ e _t_ i _t_.« I hissed in my fae voice, this time using it consciously. I wallowed in the mischievous feeling of having intimidated all those criminals, before reality made it clear again where my place was.

Something suddenly struck me and pushed me to the ground.

»More specifically, _you_ are gonna regret it.« A voice hissed at my ear. While I did not recognize the voice itself, I recognized the tone and, moreover, the fresh burn mark on the feathered shoulder. Iron hurts fae.

»Changeling.« I hissed back as the gates closed behind me. No one bothered to go after the slaves, assuming they would be long dead already when eventually found. Eaten by the raptors.

So, that was it then. The changeling had ruined my only chance of escape but at least I had gotten the others out. Even I had to admit that their chances of not dying in the desert were slim, but I decided to keep my hopes up. The changeling dragged me back to the now empty stable and just threw me in the first box there was.

»I will not let these numskulls ruin the chance for me of getting the bounty money for you, so I advise you to stay put, _or else._ « she said and let herself fall to the ground, still in her gryphon form. She seemed to plan to keep guard.

»Why did they let you in? You’re not one of them.« I hissed suspiciously, determined to not let myself be intimidated by the changeling.

»I’m a changeling. I could as well be a noble, so why not part of a criminal society?« While I couldn’t see it, I was sure that she was smirking.

She was right with what she said. As a shapeshifter, she could literally be anyone. No need to dwell on it. Eventually I decided that ignoring her was the best option. For the, I don’t know how manyth time this day I prayed to the gods. I probably hadn’t prayed and meant it this often in my entire life. Simply because before this, I did not have anything serious to pray for.

 

Waking up because raptors were nearby has, until now, been the worst awakening I have ever had. Turns out that being dragged out of a wooden stall by the mane to be sold on the slave market topped that by a bit. I grit my teeth and tried to pull in the opposite direction to slow the advance down, but to no avail. It was the changeling who dragged me anyway, so it was useless to try anything in the first place. She just threw me into a fenced area to a bunch of other colts and fillies my age, though some were also older or even younger than me.

I shook my head and scowled. This was not gonna end well.

»Where’s the what-is-it-called?« a camel asked the changeling.

»It’s called a _Caspana_. And he is still in a stall. He’s too dangerous to be sold yet.«

What? The changeling was actually _protecting_ me? Wait, no. This was a trick. In my day form, the criminals would not recognize me as a Caspana, since only the changeling had have the nerve to stay even remotely close to me and therefore knew where I had been put.

»Hen, why is that chestnut colt not branded but in the fence?« a caracal asked a brown feathered gryphon nearby who then turned around to look at me.

»I branded him when he came in.« the gryphon said in confusion and looked at me closer. I quickly looked at the brand from a filly nearby, memorized it and l concentrated. I then turned around as if I would not notice the gryphon and caracal, but they could see the brand on the left shoulder now.

»You featherbrain branded him on the wrong shoulder!« the caracal hissed and I suppressed a grin.

»No, I did not! This is the fae from yesterday! See? He has a copper bridle!« The gryphon suddenly said and at this moment I also recognized him as the one who has held me down the day before. I gulped.

»Why doesn’t he wear a magic restraining collar? This bran dis a trick!« The caracal hissed. I glared at them.

»Hen, get a collar. We cannot sell him like this. The buyer would ask for a refund!«

»On it.« The gryphon said with a sigh and flew off.

»Boy, get to the fence!« The caracal shouted, to which I flattened my ears. I hated to be ordered around. It was not like it was much of a habit, but Prech had done it countless many times as a retort to such comments from me.

I raised my head a little and looked at the caracal through thin eyes, seemingly from above.

»How about ›no‹?« I said in a slightly provoking and obviously superior sounding voice.

»You little piece of shit! Come here, now! Or I’ll make sure you’re getting an iron bridle again!«

This convinced me. Begrudgingly I walked to the fence and glared at the feline. I proceeded to do so even as the gryphon returned and roughly fastened the leather band around my neck. Eventually, the caracal broke eye contact and trotted away.

 

Apart from now having a magic restraining collar again, this was working smoothly. If I kept this up and was sold, I would be able to break free.

Perhaps that was the changeling’s plan. Waiting for someone to buy me, then kill that buyer and take me. This way I was not held captive by anyone anymore, making it very easy for her to just take me and run.

Though if that really was her goal, then why had she held me here in the first place? Perhaps to prove her abilities to the other criminals to step up to a danger? Yeah, perhaps this was it. Such a thing was a chance not to be left untouched and she had taken the opportunity, also when it meant delaying her plans.

I couldn’t believe I even _thought_ it, but I liked her plan. Up until the point where she would kill whoever bought me and then sell me to the authorities herself. No, I’d need to have a plan for when that happened. No innocents should die. Taken, the people who bought slaves here probably were not the nicest people in Mereldia, but did that mean that each and every one of them deserved to die? Probably not. Ceyra was a criminal as well and _she_ did _not_ deserve to die.

Either way, the changeling’s plan would get me out of here and that was all that counted right now. With a slight glare, I watched all kinds of people enter the city and gather at the place around the corner. It was probably where we would be sold.

For a moment, I stopped thinking about my plan and looked to the others around me. They all would be sold. Some were orphans, others had been sold to the market directly and others, like me, had been kidnapped. I was most sorry for the latter ones, since they still had people to search and care for them. They had been ripped out form this life to be sold to a life of slavery. I knew that this was illegal, but seeing it first-hand let me understand Ceyra’s grudge against Koruna’s royalty a little more. When seeing things like this, it was easy to believe that the royals did not care.

If I someday would return to Monabur, I would go straight to father and tell him about the slave markets, if they then still existed, and urge him to do something about it. Yes, forbidding slaves altogether would do the trick! But until then, it would be several years and who knew how much would happen until then?

 

A rope was bound to a camel girl’s halter and she was dragged out of the fenced area around the corner to the crowd.

»Fresh from a caravan, a girl that knows how to work. Starting bid is fifty! Who offers more?«

I gritted my teeth as much as the bridle allowed it. Fifty Vend for a life? One could buy a cloak for fifty Vend! I heard the offers go up until the camel girl was eventually sold for 240 Vend. I saw how the next kid, a paint colt, was taken up to the stage and heard how the announcer named the starting bid again and how people started yelling their offers. It went on like this again and again and the little pasture eventually emptied as the sun had already passed the noon mark.

Only a filly, who was younger than me, and I were left in the pasture. She was shivering uncontrollably. I wanted to tell her that everything would be alright and that she didn’t have to be scared, but this would have been the biggest lie I have ever told. Being at a lack of comforting words, I just stood by her side and tried to comfort her this way.

When the gryphon came by again he yanked the filly away from me and dragged her out of the fenced area. I saw that she started to cry and then she was dragged around the corner, out of my field of vision. I was alone now. This meant I would be last.

I felt my heart beat faster. So fast that it was almost painful. The blood rushed loudly through my ears, deafening the sounds of the yelling crowd a little. The auction of the filly seemed to drag on forever and I felt my legs beginning to shiver. I bit down on the copper mouthpiece of my bridle and continued to glare at the corner from which the gryphon would come to get me. I have not drunk any water for about a full day and it was showing. My tongue was try, my vision blurry at the edges and my mind racing. I have never lasted that long without drinking a single drop of water. Or without eating food. It had been two days and now I sincerely missed the hay I had so bluntly rejected just the day before. How stupid of me.

Also, how ironic. I had been the prince of Koruna. In a way, I still was it. I had been the second highest ranking person in the whole land of Koruna. And now I was a slave. The lowest of the lowest. Livestock. If mother would know, she would cry. It hurt to think about it. I imagined Prech standing in the crowd and buying me free. What a ridiculous thought. Prech would never come here. She would never even find this place.

I was abruptly torn away from my hopeless thoughts when I was grabbed by the bridle and pulled away by it. A rope was quickly tied to one of the rings and when the gryphon pulled at it, it hurt. I could not even grit my teeth because he had yanked the mouth piece between them.

I was lead out of the pasture and around the corner, where I could see a stage. The filly was just lead off the stage by a stallion, who seemed to have bought her, and then I was lead up the stage.

For some reason this reminded me of the public appearances I have had when I had still officially been the prince of Koruna. It had not always been a stage I had stood on, but always something higher up, where I would look down on the people and where everyone could see me clearly. I had hated it back then and I still hated it now. Furthermore, this time, I was definitely filthier than ever! My fur and mane had usually been brushed and I had always worn at least something. Staying on a stage, with a filthy appearance, without any cloak and with a bridle secured at my head, I felt utterly humiliated. If the Summer Solstice and the attack by raptors had not been, then I would deem this the worst moment of my life.

The people stared at me with utmost interest and some with surprise as the announcer, a dark coated camel with a gold tooth, began to speak.

»And here we have the last offer for today. As we like to say, the best comes last. A very fine coloured chestnut who, when just cleaned enough, would hold a striking resemblance to the prince. Who would not want to own such a precious colt at times like these? He could be quite the strong worker too and is witty. The starting bid is 500 Vend. Who offers more?«

»600!« A wolf immediately shouted and I glared at him. 600 for the prince of Koruna. What a joke! None of those lowlifes would be able to offer even nearly enough to match my real worth. Especially since I was a wanted criminal now.

»700!« An owl offered.

»Thousand!« A stallion yelled. And on it went. The offers were rising steadily and there seemed to be no end to it. Eventually, the break between the offers grew longer and they became more sparse. They had already reached 8000 Vend. When no one wanted to overbid the offer from a mare who was willing to pay 8500 Vend, the announcer grinned.

»Going once, going twice-«

»10.000 Vend!« a voice suddenly yelled from behind and everyone’s heads turned around in surprise of such a high offer. The surprise, however, just grew when they saw not an equine, canine, feline, or the like standing at the back, but a small, lone Raccardi floating in the air with a sack full of what seemed to be Brillends. I didn’t need any acting to look surprised, since I genuinely was. With the golden fur, green eyes, the white-brown striped tail and the self-confident expression, she was unmistakable.

Talitha.

What the hell was she doing here and what was she doing here with that much money?

The announcer eventually broke through the mumbles of the crowd. »We do not sell to slaves.«

»I am making this purchase for my master, for she cannot be present here in person. She is a noble, you know, and to be seen at a place like this would ruin her reputation. She sent me to buy her the best of the best slaves for her collection and she said if you do not sell to me, then she will tell the authorities of this place. I am sure you are aware that such measures would ruin your business. So do you accept the 10.000 Vend and sell me this colt, or do you want to lose all of this?« Talitha said with a voice that did not accept ›no‹. Many people threw her surprised glances, since they surely were not used to Raccardis being so well-spoken and they probably haven’t seen a Raccardi threatening anyone yet. The announcer threw a glance to a gryphon, who stood at the side of the stage and nodded grimly in return.

»Going once, going twice, sold to the mysterious lady that owns this Raccardi.« The camel said with a frown and Talitha flew up to the stage to give him a sack full of Brillends. It took a long while, but eventually all 100 Brillend pieces were counted, Talitha signed a paper and then took the rope that was still on my bridle.

»Now come, the lady is waiting.« She said to me in a harsh tone. I followed her without protest and then threw a look at the changeling. She seemed quite pleased, apparently thinking that killing a Raccardi would be easy enough. I’d have to warn Talitha. But then I realized that I didn’t see the necklace on the changeling anymore! She was a gryphon, so she didn’t wear clothes, which left no pockets she could have put it into. This made me freeze. If she had lost it, then I would never find it again. Talitha pulled at the rope.

»Come on! I don’t want to stay here all day.«

_Me neither._

I followed Talitha silently out of the slave market village and through the desert. Only when we were a remarkable distance away and I was sure that no one was following us, I started talking.

»What are you doing here? Is Celestia here too? Where did you get all this money from? Have you found Terence and the caravan? Are they okay? Did you have to fight the raptors?«

»One question at a time.« Talitha said and rolled her eyes. »Yes, Celestia is here as well, and yes, we found the caravan. It was through luck actually. A group of messengers were taking a trip back to Monabur from Kerven and found your caravan. One of them stayed there, while the other flew to Monabur to get help. Terence told the Pegasus to immediately fly to the royal library and gave him a letter for Celestia, which told us of the situation. Since Celestia was worried that, under the circumstances of one of you being hurt, the journey with the caravan would cost a lot more than calculated, she took an insane amount of money with her and we flew here immediately. We only arrived this morning. We expected a caravan though, not a Kindergarten. There are a bunch of children, presumably slaves, judging by the brands, there. Also, a camel, who was pretty hurt, told us that you were taken by slave vendors. Celestia quickly thought of a plan to get you free and that’s where we are now.«

»What about Ceyra? Is she okay? I was with her when those criminals took me. And the others already arrived? I tried to flee with them last night, but I couldn’t.«

»You mean the camel with the wounds? Well, she seems to have been attacked by raptors, not by criminals. And you busted free a bunch of slaves? Especially as a Raccardi, you have my respect Drako.«

I couldn’t help but grin a little. »So the prince of Koruna did not have your respect before?«

»Before, you did vandalism and other things that are against the law. This however is anything but against the law, so you did something just for once.«

»Thanks?« I said with a flat face.

»Anyway, you cannot stay like this! Bridle, no cloak, no illusion spell.«

»They took my cloak and the changeling with the raptors took my necklace, but apparently she has lost it since I didn’t see it on her.«

»What necklace?«

»Oh, right. You don’t know. I broke into the palace garden before Terence and I left Monabur and I talked to Prech, pretending to be a ghost. Actually, I just wanted to get a necklace for an illusion spell, but it was nice that I got to talk to her one more time. She then gave me the necklace she was wearing, which was powerful enough to hold an illusion spell for a very long time. It’s the only thing I have left from my family, so I want it back.«

»Sentimental and also pricy value, I see. Well, Celestia is an air mage, so she was never quite good when it came to anything ground related like gems, but Terence might be able to find it.«

»I hope so. But we cannot return with me looking like this. And I really want to get rid of this bridle.«

»Let me enjoy the view a little more.« The Raccardi grinned. I glared at her.

»Now don’t be such a sadist Talitha.« a female voice called and a mare, perfectly camouflaged against the bright sands with her palomino coat, trotted up to us.

»Celestia!« I immediately said and also trotted up to her. I momentarily forgot that Talitha was still holding me with a strong grip, so the sudden pull at the rope yanked at the mouthpiece.

»Ouch! Talitha, can’t you let that go?« I complained, but the Raccardi just shrugged.

»I don’t know if anyone followed us, so I have to keep up the act.«

»Nonsense. She is just in a bad mood.« Celestia said and took off the bridle and collar with her magic. I immediately licked with my tongue over my lips, being happy to be able to move it freely again even though the taste of copper lingered on it. The librarian regarded the bridle for a time.

»Do you claim any sentimental value on it so that you want to take it with you to Nordberg?«

I scowled. »Absolutely not.«

»Then I’ll keep it! This might become a relict later!«

»You’re overthinking this again.« Talitha said with a roll of her eyes.

»Perhaps I am. In any case…« she rummaged through one of the pockets in her cloak and pulled something golden and red out. »…I think this is yours.«

I couldn’t believe my eyes. »My necklace!« I said and immediately took it, not wanting to be parted from it a moment longer. As I swung it around my neck, the illusion spell immediately functioned, making my coat look fully black again. I grinned. It felt so good to have the necklace back.

»Where did you find it?« I asked excitedly.

»I didn’t. A camel named Ceyra gave it to me. Ask her where she got it from. What is this collar here for though? You’re not a canine or feline as much as I can tell and I thought only they got collars.«

»It’s a collar that blocks magic. They got it from Eriwon.« I quickly explained, to which Celestia let the leather band fall as if it had bitten her.

»How barbaric! And it really works?« Fear had crept in her voice.

»Yeah, it does. But not entirely. I could still do a little magic. It does not seem to be made for fae.«

»Add a few more of these gems and even you would not be able to cast any magic anymore.« Celestia mused thoughtfully and picked the leather collar up with a worried expression.«

»At this rate, those things will spread like crazy in Koruna and in a couple of years they will be everywhere, especially in prisons.« Talitha said, to which Celestia just grimly nodded.

»But wouldn’t it be good to have those in prisons?« I asked. Celestia threw me a sad look.

»Drako, in the last few days-«

»Shhh, Celestia! Don’t tell him that now!«

»Don’t tell me what now?« I asked confused.

»Later, sweetie. You’ve been through a lot and deserve some rest.«

»Do you have water and food?« I then asked desperately, wanting almost nothing more than that right now.

»We do, so let’s go.« Celestia said motherly and lead me back to the labyrinth.


	16. A Moment to Breathe

** Chapter 15 **

* * *

**A Moment to Breathe**

_28 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

> ** _Drako_ **

I give him into your care for _one week_ , and you almost let him get eaten by raptors, let him get kidnapped by criminals, let him being sold on a slave market and so on.« Celestia complained to Terence while I was drinking water out of a bucket. Ceyra apparently had found a spring in the cave we had stayed at and now we had enough water for everyone. I raised my head out of the bucket for a moment to protest.

»None of this was Terence’s fault!« I said.

»I know. It was meant as a joke.« Celestia said and shook her head.

»It’s not funny.« I replied dryly before resuming to drink the bucket empty. All that had happened in the last few days still weighted heavily on me and the changeling was still alive and after me. Ceyra was wounded by raptors, this could only mean that she tried to get the necklace from the changeling herself and had succeeded. I really needed to thank her for this. I looked up again to see her resting at the back of the cave. She also looked at me, which made me raise my head completely. I hesitated for a bit and eventually abandoned my bucket to walk over to her. I lied down in front of her and looked at her wounds.

»Those look bad.« I said sympathetically.

»Spare me.« Ceyra said and rolled her eyes.

»Were you the one to get my necklace back?« I asked since Celestia had said something like that before.

»I would like to say ›yes‹, because that would mean that our deal would still stand, but these children are horrible snitches, so I’d not get away with that lie.« The camel glared at the group of former slaves who were tended to by Abira and a Pegasus, which I had learned was one of the two messengers. I’d better stay away from him as much as possible. Last thing I needed was for someone, who worked at the palace, to recognize some familiarity in me. That my voice had not already given me away was close to a miracle.

»Celestia said you gave it to her. How did you get it then?«

Again, Ceyra glared at the group of children. »I was about to bust you out of this slave village – a few slave vendors taking the bounty money? Wouldn’t that take the cake! – when suddenly this little herd of brats came out of there. I asked them if they saw you and they told me that you instructed them to find back to the caravan. Those brats would have died on their own, so I took them back to the caravan so that Abira would have to care for them and not me. The raptors, without that monster thing, attacked and one of them had that damned necklace tied around its neck. It fell off when I fought those fuckers and one of the children picked it up. After all raptors were dead, we went back to the cave and that damn filly just wanted to give me the necklace under the condition of me…playing _princess_ with her.« Ceyra looked like she was about to throw up. I could not suppress a giggle.

»And, have you?« I asked. The camel glared at me.

»I am a criminal from Santugan. A small kid and forcing me to do something I do not intend to do? Certainly not. I ripped that damn necklace from her and she started crying like hell. Then that mare with the Raccardi arrived, weird gal, and she took the necklace from me when Terence pointed out that it was yours. End of story.«

Yes, I could see that happening. »Just out of interest: which of the fillies wanted to play princess with _you_?« I asked, not being able to hide a slight snicker. Ceyra was by far the most unprincesslike person I have ever met. I could not imagine anyone asking _her_ to such a game of pretend.

The camel nodded over to the group of children. »That yellow-white one did.«

»You mean palomino?«

»Yeah, whatever. That one on the right there.«

I blinked. Sala, who had been so afraid of raptors that she had even risked a life of slavery, had asked Ceyra, a camel full of scars who had murdered ferocious raptors in front of the filly’s eyes, to play _princess_ with her. That was almost _too_ ironic.

»Maybe she is traumatized and does not recognize danger anymore. Or she likes you now because you saved her from raptors.« I said.

»She was definitely the most freaked out one when the beasts attacked.«

»You must be her hero then.« I said with a teasing grin.

»Shut up, _your highness_.« Ceyra said and rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, hasty steps could be heard as a palomino mare who most certainly was not a filly anymore, approached the backside of the cave.

»Drako, you didn’t _tell_ her, did you?« Celestia hissed at me in a hushed and worried voice. It was clear what she meant. Apparently she had overheard that last bit of my conversation with Ceyra and therefore also the Camel’s sarcastic nickname for me.

»She held an iron knife to my neck. What would _you_ have done?« I hissed back.

»I would have summoned Vulpecula and beaten the living daylights out of her.« Celestia said with no hesitation and glared at the camel. I heard Ceyra mumble something that sounded like »overconfident mages« under her breath before she looked at me pensively again.

»And this is the babysitter that taught you all this nerd stuff? Yes, I can see that now.« She threw a look at Celestia.

»That kid is worth a ton lot of money and this is all I care about. So do not get the wrong idea, Blondy.«

»Oh, I wouldn’t _dream_ of it. Still thank you for your help. Without you, Draco would surely not be as well as he is right now.«

»You call _this_ ›well‹?« I asked with a raised eyebrow. I hadn’t eaten anything in days, just had gotten some water and my coat was filthier than ever before. Furthermore, my mouth still hurt a bit from that iron. No, I definitely was not _well_.

»Not _well_ , but definitely better than slavery, isn't it?« Celestia asked with a slight grin. The only answer she got from me was a frown.

»Now don't be a smart-ass Celli, the kid has been through a lot.« Terence said as the walked over to us.

»Cut the emotional crap, eyepatch. Your girlfriend is right with her attitude. Otherwise that kid will become a total wuss.«

»Thank you, not.« I mumbled to Ceyra, who again understood every word and therefore proceeded to glare at me.

 

> ** _Terence_ **

 

I was glad to see that Drako seemed to be alright. Not just physically but also mentally, judging by the way he acted. What happened still left a sour taste. I had let my fear get the better of me, which had resulted in Drako to get into this very unfortunate situation. I would never be able to forgive myself for this and from now on not lose sight of the kid again.

»Terence, we need to talk.« A voice suddenly said behind me and I saw Talitha sitting on my back.

»About what?« I asked, since there were a couple of topics that qualified as an important matter.

»Not here. Let's go outside.« The Raccardi said. I threw Drako a look, but he, meanwhile, had fallen into a deep conversation with Celestia and Ceyra. My departure was only noticed by the camel, who squinted her eyes at me.

»So, what is it Talitha?« I asked once we were outside the cave and around the corner. The Raccardi flew off my back to sit on a rock instead.

»I'm glad that you left when you did, because Monabur has been thrown into utter chaos. That a lot of people would leave the city was natural after the solstice festival, but we couldn't have imagine so many fae to be among them.«

I went pale. »How many exactly are we talking about when you say ›so many‹?«

»I don't know how many exactly, but many enough to cause a panic. Fae have been brought to the castle's dungeons daily and of course people have seen it. Now many demand executions to _free us_ of the _evil_.«

»Murder committed out of religious reasons is still murder. And? Have any died yet?«

Talitha bit her lip. »No, but they are wrapped in iron chains. It burns their skin away and lets them constantly be in pain. It's torture, nothing else.«

»That's messed up.« I said and shook my head in disbelief.

»The people are afraid, Terence! They are afraid the fae will take revenge on them if they let them free again.«

»A founded worry. I think everyone would turn against their torturer once they get a chance to.« As said as I imagined Drako in such a situation.

»Drako will probably hear about it in Kerven, so before it comes to that, please think of something to say so that he won't blame himself for what is happening. He doesn't carry any fault in what his father does.«

I sighed. »I dunno if that'll work. He might be stable now, but I don't know how long it stays like this. He saw death, torture and the hopelessness of slavery already. It's only a matter of time until he'll break and those news you spoke of might become a trigger.«

»Terence, you don't seem to understand your position here: You are now responsible of caring for Drako. He is just a kid from mindset, but he also is anything but _just_ a kid historically. Celestia hopes that he can one day return to Monabur and resolve this whole tragedy, but until then he has to grow up as a normal kid and she trusts _you_ to raise him properly.«

»I already know that, but I'm not sure if I'll meet your high expectations there. I have never raised a kid, let alone prevented one from emotional trauma.«

»Don't give up before even trying. This is all I wanted to tell you.«

 

\------------------------------------

 

> ** _Drako_ **

 

Balint was eventually able to move again and so we went on. Celestia and Talitha had left on the evening of the same day they arrived, saying they couldn't afford to stay away for any longer. I recovered from the iron injury and the hunger, but the shock stayed.

It wasn’t like I was just taken, kept there and then rescued immediately after. It wasn’t that harmless. I had heard things, seen things, that I knew I would never forget. I had seen hopelessness and torture. I had seen things I couldn’t understand. Like how anyone could differentiate between themselves and slaves. We were all the same, born under the same sky, and yet, some set themselves above others just because they could.

 _Yeah, like I am the one to talk._ I thought and looked around the camp we set for the night. One of the messengers had joined us and mainly took care of the children. I heard they would be given to the next guardhouse and from then on, their families would be found.

My view went over every single person of the caravan and only Ceyra seemed to be awake, keeping guard once again despite her injuries. I stood up and walked away. If she noticed me, which I am sure she did, she didn’t say anything. I walked a little until there was just me and the desert.

I was causing them all so much pain. Why? Did the bad luck follow me around lately? I didn’t want them to get hurt further because of me. I stopped after a while and lied down in the sand.

The wind at night was cool and refreshing, and I just lied there and listened. The silence was calming. Peaceful even.

It was then, that I cast my view skywards. I was struck with awe when I looked at the starlit sky. Never in my life had I seen it so bright and beautiful. My ears picked up a whisper to accompany my awe and a beautiful voice spoke words in a language I didn’t know.

We would arrive in Kerven the next day and after that, Terence and I would go onwards to the North Lands. This was my last night in Koruna. My last night _home._ While looking at the stars, I imagined the gods forgiving me my sins. Forgiving me to have fled from here. Forgiving me to have left my family. It was like they wanted to offer me a farewell gift with this beautiful sky, so that I would remember my home like this – beautiful and awe-inspiring – instead of torturous and cruel, like I have experienced it to be in the last weeks.

I thought back to the days at the palace and felt a weird sense of distance to them now. It’s not like I ever really felt like I belonged there, but now even less than then.

My eyes searched the stars, as if they would hold the answers to all the questions I had. Instead, I found inner peace. At this moment, I didn’t think about that I was a fae. I didn’t think about what would happen to me from now on. I only thought about how small we all were in comparison to the gods up there and that their gift was not the things I saw. Their gift had been freedom. Boundless freedom. The freedom to go wherever you wanted in this world and feel at home. In this moment, it was like the gods had gifted me this once again. I smiled. This was what I would remember whenever I would think of Koruna from now on. I would remember the stars in this endless looking desert and the opportunities I had been gifted.

\------------------------------------

 

> ** _Terence_ **

 

When we arrived at Kerven, things stayed relatively calm. I paid Elian one last time and then we had to say our goodbyes to the caravan.

 

After Drako and I had finally found an inn we could stay at for the night, I caught the kid staring out the window, looking at the stars. I was about to ask him what he was thinking about, when he started talking on his own.

 

»I wonder what will happen to the slave children.« Drako said thoughtfully and kept his gaze fixed on the stars.

»They will be taken care of medically at the base the soldiers are positioned at here and then their relatives will have to be found so that they can be returned to them.« I said to calm him down. I really couldn't blame him for worrying about them. While most of them had been stolen away from their families, others had been given to the slave vendors voluntarily in exchange for money. Even if the relatives of those were found, the chance of them being able to get back to living with their families was slim. After all, they were unwanted. The thought of that saddened me.

»I didn’t mean that.« Drako said to my surprise, but kept his eyes fixed on the stars. »The gods gave us freedom, but we took it from the slaves. Does that make us all sinners?« His gaze then flickered towards me, his eyes doubtful and confused. I had to think about that for a while, not having expected something so philosophical from a child like him.

»Who knows? I would consider slave drivers sinners, but _we_ have done no wrong.«

»Is taking away someone else’s freedom playing god? Because that’s not right. Mortals are sinners. We cannot be god.«

I sighed. »You are right with that. I am sure those who set themselves in a position, where they oppress someone, they will end up in the netherworld for it.« The kid surprised me once again, when I suddenly heard a soft whimper from him and I saw tears welling up in his eyes.

»So, my family is made up of sinners because they support slavery?« It was not so much a question towards me, but more something he thought out aloud while casting his view skywards again.

I was about to argue that Cynfor and his children had been chosen and gifted by the gods and that therefore his family couldn’t possibly made up of sinners, but then I realized that the Book of Prayer never talked about the gods approving of slavery. They also didn’t disapprove of it, but still.

»I don’t want them to suffer eternal punishment.« Drako cried quietly. I stood up and walked over to him to comfort him.

»Don’t worry, they won’t. I promise you that.« I said and stayed by his side until he stopped crying and calmed down again. Silence grew on us and I didn’t plan to break it. Eventually, it was the kid who spoke first.

»Terence?« Drako asked silently, his voice hoarse from crying.

»Yes?«

»...Do you know the prayer of Koruna?«

I had expected a lot but not that. »Yes, of course.« I replied. Everyone knew it. The colt seemed to shuffle uncomfortably.

»I can never really memorize the last two verses and Prech mocked me about it shortly before...« His voice died and he looked down. »So, I want to learn them! Maybe saying the whole prayer will help me. Who knows? Maybe what happened to me just happened because I didn't pray rightly to the gods at Summer Solstice. I don't want to give them a reason to get mad at me again.«

It was nice that he found at least some sort of explanation for what happened and I certainly was not one to argue, also when I did not completely agree with the religion of Koruna. When Drako wanted to believe in it after all, then so be it. I gave him a warm smile.

»Sure, I can teach you.«

 

When we left the inn the next day to get some victuals, Drako seemed a little happier than just the previous day. Perhaps it had been the comfort of sleeping on a soft bed again or the fact that he now could recite the last two verses of the prayer as perfectly as the first two, but regardless, he was happy and full of energy. I had actually planned to stay in Kerven a little, but by just taking a slight stroll around the merchant village, I heard all kinds of rumours that made me decide to do otherwise. Luckily, Drako seemed deaf to the mutterings of the other people. He just happily hummed the tune of a nursery rhyme as he trotted next to me. Ignorance was bliss.

»Where do we go next, Terence?« The colt asked excitedly. He was much in awe of Kerven. Understandably so. He had never seen anything else than Monabur and the desert. Kerven laid on the edge of where the land started to become green again and so it was a whole new sight for Drako.

»Slow down, kid. My legs aren't as agile as yours anymore.« I said with a chuckle. The colt slowed his trot down to a walk and gave me a sheepish grin.

»Sorry, it's just the first time I'm outside of Koruna and it looks and smells so different here than in Monabur! And it's much smaller.«

»Well, this is a village, not a city. Besides, Monabur is-«

»-the second largest city in Mereldia and the wealthiest. I know. Prech made sure to not let me forget about _that_ basically every single day.« Drako cut in and finished my sentence.

»Well, seems like you're well educated in that then.« I replied. Drako nodded.

»I know more about other places than about Monabur though. It's more interesting to read and hear about things you have never seen. Like houses made out of wood. I've seen stables made out of wood, but not houses. Is it true that there are wood houses?« He asked enthusiastically. I had to chuckle at that again. His childish curiosity was entertaining.

»Yes, there are. Most are built out of stone nowadays, but there still are a lot of huts, especially in villages. We'll surely pass a few on our way to Nordberg.«

»I can't wait to see them!«

»Well, you won't have to wait long, since we will set out again in a few hours.« At the mention of that, his excitement died down a little.

»Already? I thought we would stay here for a few days.« He said in disappointment.

»Sorry, kid, but we have to get to Nordberg as soon as possible. It'll take long enough as it is.

»Also, I didn't want to bring it up, but this changeling is most likely still following you. The faster we move on, the better our chances of shaking her off. So far we've been lucky that she hasn't caught up yet.«

»You're right.« Drako eventually admitted with a sigh and looked around the city. »But can we first get some lunch that includes meat? I am _dying_ for some.« he begged with big puppy eyes. Thanks to Celestia, we now had enough money to spare it on some meat once in a while. But just a little. And Drako deserved a treat after what he has been through.

»Sure we can.«

 

»You're still here.« Drako pointed out with a slight scowl as the tavern we decided to go to turned out to be the one place in Kerven where Ceyra had decided to come to, at this exact moment in time.

»My, what an outstanding observer you are, brat! You're worth a lot of money, so you didn't really think I'd let you get away _that_ easily, did you?«

»Over my dead body.« I mumbled, since the presence of the criminal also started to annoy me a little.

»That can be arranged.« She just said with a grin. When Drako started to growl at that, I silenced him with a strict look.

»So your intention hasn't changed?« I asked with acted curiosity. The camel snorted.

»Who do you think I am? Some lowly pick-pocket thief? I hunt after the big ones and the brat happens to be some sort of grand prize.«

»I really am _not_. Just leave me alone and nothing will happen. Catch me however and I cannot guarantee for anything.« Drako said and managed to silence not only Ceyra but also me with that. Even for Drako, who had a wider vocabulary than most kids his age, this had sounded way too mature, almost like a threat. He quickly shook his head though.

»Sorry, didn't mean that. I'm just hungry.« he admitted while impatiently looking around the room in the hopes of seeing the waiter come back with the chicken he had ordered.

»And you _do_ realise that I don't plan to buy you any food, right?« I then asked Ceyra, to once again make sure that she understood this situation correctly. After all, it had been her who had sat down at our table.

»How rude of you. I thought you owed me for saving the brat.«

»One meal can't hurt, Terence.« Drako agreed and I frowned. Even with the extra money Celestia had given us, it was still barely enough to afford the long journey to Nordberg and afterwards a place to stay there. We certainly had no money available to make gifts.

»Just a small one though.« I eventually agreed with a sigh. The camel scrunched her nose in an insulted fashion. »Greedy bastard.«

»Finally.« Drako suddenly exclaimed and I looked into the direction he was looking to spot the waiter who was carrying what I presumed was Drako's meal.

Whatever manners the kid had probably learned in his life so far, he seemed to forget them in the very instant the plate was placed on the table in front of him. He tore into the chicken flesh like a starving animal, gnawing the meat away from the bone as though his life would depend on it.

Ceyra just raised an eyebrow and threw me a glance. »And you expect me to believe that he has been raised by and as royalty?« she said doubtfully and gave off a small laugh.

Drako didn't seem to notice Ceyra's comment and my utterly confused stare at all. He just kept eating his meal, which seemed to be all he cared about for the moment. I had been so focused on watching him consume his food, that I hadn't noticed the waiter stand beside me. I only noticed him when he cleared his throat to alert me of his presence.

»Oh yes, excuse me.« I said and gave him two Silverend. He was about to give me back my change when I halted him.

»And a meal for this person here.« I added and nodded to Ceyra.

»I'll just take what the brat has. I presume that's chicken, right?« she said with a toothy grin. I had already suspected something like this. If given the opportunity, she of course would try to get her teeth on some pricey meat.

»Then I'll get three more Flimmend for that.« The waiter said, to which I counted off three of the bronze coins. As he left, I just sighed and looked at my own meal. A soup and fish. I wouldn't get something that good to eat until at least Jenkins and at latest Nordberg, so I'd enjoy it.

»Can I have more?« Drako asked eagerly as I had barely started to eat my soup. Only bones were left of the chicken now.

»Haven't you had enough?« I asked, since that chicken hadn't been particularly small either and I had actually expected some of it to be left over. Drako just shook his head.

»I could eat three more of those!« He said with a toothy grin.

»We only have money for one. Sorry, kid.« I said, which Drako seemed to sulk about.

»Stop whining, brat. At least you got a chicken at all.« Ceyra said with a roll of her eyes.

»Can I have your chicken?« Drako then asked the camel hopefully.

»Absolutely not. Learn to live off of less, brat.«

The colt sulked again. Even after two weeks, he still was not used to these new eating habits as it seemed.

»So, when are you two leaving town then? You wanted to get to Nordberg after.« Ceyra asked, while impatiently waiting for her chicken to arrive.

»After I’m done eating here actually. I heard some rumours going around and I don’t like them, so we’re gonna leave as soon as possible.«

»What rumours?« Drako asked and I looked away. He really hadn’t noticed.

»Yeah, heard that too. Something about a Caspana roaming around here. Then again, after what happened in Monabur two weeks ago, it’s no wonder that the people are talking. It could just be another rumour.« Ceyra replied, aware of possible unwanted listeners. Drako threw her an unamused scowl.

»Don’t want to risk it though. I figure due to it, most people who are just here shortly, will decide to leave. We might even find someone who goes to Nordberg too. On that route it’s safer to be many after all.«

»This is all well and fine and all, but you forgot one little detail.« The camel said right as her chicken was set down in front of her. Drako watched it eagerly like a dog who was hoping for things to drop down from the dinner table.

»And that would be?« I asked, though I already knew what it was.

»That I still didn’t get my bounty money! After all the work I put up to get here, I think I deserve it.« The camel said and took a bite from the chicken. Drako meanwhile watched her and the food like a predator. I could only barely stop myself from telling him to stop it, but in all honesty, I’d have nothing against it right now if he would steal Ceyra’s food.

I decided to just keep my silence and eat my food, while at the same time keeping a close eye on Drako.

To my great discomfort, Ceyra finished at the same time as me, so we didn’t even have a head start. Then again, one could not really flee from a skilled criminal like her either. So when we left the tavern, Ceyra followed us like a dog, seeming happy with herself.

»You won’t get any money for him, you know?« I said in a weak try to let her interest in the kid die down.

»I’ll leave that up to the officials, thank you very much.« She replied with a smirk.

»And there I thought you hates the officials.«

»Not if they’re giving me money.« She replied. At this, Drako was gone so fast that neither Ceyra nor I could see where he dashed off to.

»That stupid brat!« Ceyra cursed and looked around the crowd frantically. When she seemed to have spotted him, I just quickly followed her. To my surprise, Drako came back on his own…but not alone. Behind him was a caracal in armour. He was a guard.

»Sir, this is her.« Drako said and pointed at Ceyra. The camel looked like she was ready to unleash all the curses in the world onto him. The caracal nodded in acknowledgement but at the same time seemed sceptical about something.

»She rescued a good friend of one of the advisors of Cellaryre. A high-ranking advisor even, the one the king entrusted with the research on the Caspanas. Her name is Celestia Herua. Not only that, but she also helped free a group of children slaves. Doesn’t that earn her a reward?«

Once again, I was rendered speechless at how clever Drako was. Also, Ceyra seemed speechless.

»Hmm, yes, kid, you might be right. That does demand a reward of some sort.« The caracal said thoughtfully and looked the scarred camel up and down.

»Then how about this. I will find a fit place for you to work at and give you a reward of 200 Vend. Does that sound agreeable?«

Ceyra looked at him, her mouth hanging so wide open that I was afraid she’d dislocate her jaw. Then she seemed to register that she had been asked a question and seemed to consider.

»Well, a job would be a reliable source of income in contrary to a one-time amount.« she thought aloud and then eventually nodded. »I guess I could try it, as long as it’s nothing too boring.«

Drako walked over to my side again and grinned. »Thanks, sir. This is very kind of you.« he said and bowed his head as sign of his gratitude.

»Then follow me please, miss. I’ll bring you to one of my men and they’ll help you find a job before the end of the day.« The caracal said and withdrew. Ceyra followed him, but hesitated for a second. She looked at Drako and instead of an angry scowl or a silent death threat, as it was usual for her, she just nodded to him. There was no smile on her face, but her view anyways made it clear that she was, to an extent, grateful.

»We’ll meet again kid. Don’t ever think I’m gonna forget about the bounty. It’ll just be higher in a few years, so I’ll wait.« she said and grinned mischievously. Drako grinned back.

»Just try it.« he replied and then Ceyra disappeared in the crowd. The kid and I stood there for another moment, looking in the direction the camel had disappeared into and I sighed.

»How did you get that idea?« I asked him, my tone one of appreciation. Drako threw me a sneaky grin.

»I thought it up in the tavern. She wanted money, and I often saw high ranking guards to give money rewards to those who did something extraordinary…like catching me when I had escaped.« He looked away at that and I chuckled. »Anyway, I know all the ranks, and that one had three stars on his shoulder, so he was pretty high-ranking. I thought if I’d ask someone like that, I’d come through with it more easily, especially since they still have the slaves as witnesses.«

»That was still pretty clever of you.« I complimented him and smiled. »Let’s just hope that this will also get Ceyra away from the low society and the thievery.«

»That would be nice.« Drako said quietly and again looked in the direction where Ceyra had disappeared into.


	17. Guilty Without Trial

** Chapter 16 **

* * *

**Guilty Without Trial**

_25 th Simivisonios 802 a.w._

> ** _Preciosa_ **

Even though everyone talked about it and even though I had seen it with my own eyes, I couldn’t quite believe it.

A Caspana.

The guards had captured a real Caspana, just like the one that had killed my brother. I tried to remember the words of Draco’s ghost. A Caspana wasn’t the murderer and the one I had seen was a child. But I knew what I had seen in the flames. An equine figure many times bigger than Draco stabbing him with a dagger.

I was confused what was true and what were lies. The stallion the guards have brought in last night was no child, but he also didn’t look like someone who could stab a child to death. But what did I know? Murderers often looked much more innocent than they actually were.

But I heard his screams when he was brought in. I had been close to the western courtyard then and watched the scene from the window in a hallway.

His legs and neck had been bound with iron and he was screaming in pain. It wasn’t the insane scream of a maniac, but the whimpering scream of someone who begged and pleaded for mercy. From that alone I couldn’t say that he was innocent, but at least he seemed like that to me. Was he really a Caspana?

Now I was on my way down to the dungeons with more guards accompanying me than necessary. I guess they really took extra precautions now. If anything, it was soothing and relieving, knowing that there were so many to protect me from harm.

The steps to the underground dungeon were dirtier than the rest of the castle, but after everything I had been through, dirt wasn’t worthy of being payed heed to anymore. One week ago, I might have complained, but now I couldn’t care less.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, we came into the anteroom where I found even more guards. At the other end of the room was a heavy door. The only thing new about the wooden thing was its handle, that had been newly crafted out of iron now that it was known to bind fae. I assumed that in a few weeks, the whole door would be replaced to be made out of iron, as were a lot of other things in Koruna. I sighed at the thought.

»You have no reason to worry, your highness. The Caspana is bound with iron and behind bars, so he won’t be able to harm you.« One of the guard assured me, interpreting my sigh as worry. It was worry indeed, but not about seeing the Caspana. I was worrying about the future of this country. If fae were as powerful as Celestia had said, then wouldn’t it be a bad idea to make them have a grudge against us for forcefully revealing their identity with iron? Sooner or later, this might even lead to war. Not that we shouldn’t be careful, but a truce still would be the better option in my opinion.

»I know.« I replied to the guard and then purposefully walked forward while another guard opened the wooden door for me. I wasn’t planning to postpone this any longer.

Accompanied by eight guards at once – four at each side – I strode down the corridor between the cells. Some of the inmates tried to spit on me, but the guards showed no tolerance for such blasphemy.

The Caspana was at the last cell of the corridor, far away and secluded from the others. As the guard had said, he was bound with iron chains on his legs. The one around his neck had been removed, but the burn it had caused was still very visible. It would probably never heal again and it probably would always hurt.

The guards had taken the stallion’s cloak and burned it, fearing that it might hold magic, leaving the Caspana raimentless like a witless. I pitied him. He had a buckskin coat and didn’t look murderous at all. Especially not now that he was whimpering in pain. My look hardened. I wouldn’t be able to differentiate between truth or lie when he was looking that miserable. I would just keep up pitying him. But my objective judgement was needed here, I wasn’t allowed to waver.

»Free him of the shackles.« I ordered the guards, who looked at me in utter confusion, one even in horror.

»Y-your highness?«

»I take responsibility. Just do it.« I said, my voice cold as ice. The guards jumped into action opened the shackles. Luckily they could use magic, which prevented them to open the cell.

The stallion breathed a heavy sigh of relief and scurried away from the iron. The guards stayed attentive of his every move and I trusted them to protect me.

»Thank you, your highness.« The Caspana said and it was weird to hear his voice when it did not scream in agony. It sounded soft and younger. Far younger than I had expected. He was a young adult, maybe about as old as Celestia. I bit my lip in frustration.

»It’s not fair to let a child make such a heavy decision.« The Caspana said.

 _So true._ I thought, but I was the only one who could do it. I was the only one who had seen the murderer. I was the only one who could judge if he was the murderer.

»Shut your mouth and speak when you’re asked, scum!« One of the guards barked, which earned him a very unpleased look by me. To my complacency, that shut him up. My look turned on the Caspana again.

»You are in the dungeon of Cellaryre, the holy palace of the holy city of Monabur. Burning a part of it was not only highly blasphemous, but it also killed my brother. What can you tell me about it?« I was not gonna ask whether he was guilty or not or why the guards arrested him. I just wanted to know the truth to this riddle and maybe he could give me answers.

»I’m an earth mage and not very good at fire magic. Furthermore, it wasn’t me who burned Cellaryre or killed your brother. My sincerest condolences by the way.«

»How dare you give your condol-«

One look form me made the guard fall silent once again.

»I want to find Draco’s murderer, nothing more. Tell me what you know.« I demanded.

»It could have been anyone who was at the castle. There are fae in the city, but you’ve caught most of the stray ones. The ones who constantly live here are harder to catch and I do not recommend you to do so. They are dangerous.«

That was at least _something_.

»And you are not?« I asked, planning to just slightly provoke him.

»No, I am not. I would never kill innocents.« He retorted.

»Who do you see as guilty then?«

»Those who cannot feel guilt or regret when killing someone or just those who lightly play with the lives of others without any sympathy for their anguish, are the real monsters of this world. They are immortal and mortal alike and I kill only those. Not innocent children.«

I thought about it. His definition of the word _monster_ was one I mostly agreed with. Though I felt that sometimes, distance to sympathy was needed. One couldn’t count on emotions to decide one’s actions all the time. Especially not someone with my position. Did that make me a monster too?

»You feel guilt and remorse later, so it doesn’t.« The stallion said and I took a startled step back while my guards drew their swords and formed a protective circle around me. The Caspana responded with lowering his head. After a moment I recollected my composure and told the guards to stay back.

»Mind reading is the magic of thoughts and feelings. Dark magic.« I said and narrowed my eyes. The book of Prayers had taught me to distrust anyone who wielded dark powers. They were deceiving and deadly. My pity for the stallion shrunk a little at this moment.

»It also is fae magic. Something natural to me, even though I’m a light mage. I apologize if I have been rude.«

»I don’t believe that.« I replied sharply. »One cannot have both, light and dark magic. They contradict each other.«

»Explaining the theory to you in a way you could understand would take longer than you have time.« The stallion said with an apologizing look.

»Then let’s pretend you’re telling the truth for now. What is your business in Monabur to begin with?«

»I was here for the Solstice Festival to use the opportunity of the big market to make purchases.«

»What kind of purchases?«

»Herbs, gemstones and a doll.« I looked skeptical.

»A doll? What for?« I asked, since an adult like him didn’t look like he would play with dolls and it seemed ridiculous. The stallion looked to the ground.

»For my little daughter. She’s about your age.« He said and for the first time he looked truly sad. I reminded myself to not have too much sympathy with him. Even if he had a child, so did many others. Mother had two children and now she only had one.

I looked to the side to consider. No one deserved to feel the pain my family and I were feeling right now. No one deserved such losses.

»Your highness, we found none of these items in his cloak or bags.« One of the guards informed me and I almost kicked myself for falling for this trick. He wanted to make me sympathetic so that I would not judge him too harshly.

»A-a friend of mine took the purchases. I didn’t have them on me.« The Caspana quickly stuttered. I wanted to believe him, but something in me told me not to.

»So you _say_. You have no proof. And you also have no proof of not being involved with the fire and my brother's murder.« Fury burned in my heart when I thought about it.

_Do not let anyone be killed because you suspect them to be my murderer._

My brother's words spooked through my head again. Were they even real? Maybe I had just imagined the whole thing. Maybe I was turning insane after all! But no, the necklace was gone and nowhere to be found. It had been real. _He_ had been real. I had to listen to him.

I took a deep breath and released it again in a sigh. Maybe I was on to something here, thanks to Draco.

»What is your name?« I asked the Caspana.

»Orion.« The stallion replied with only a slight hesitation.

»Orion, and?«

»Just Orion, I have no last name.« He explained matter-of-factly. I heard one of the guards mumble »Pitiful, just like a slave.« but pretended to not have heard it.

»Then, Orion, I, Princess Preciosa Melendis Alberetti of Koruna, hereby declare you innoc-«

Suddenly, with no explanation as to why, the Caspana suddenly changed. His once buckskin coat became black with orange markings and his eyes started to glow in the same colour. I took a step back and so did the guards. Something about this look frightened me in more ways than the fire at the castle had. And the fire had been a death trap. Something was so _wrong_ about the Caspana's looks, that I couldn't help but started to fear him. He was dangerous. A danger to the country. A danger to _my_ country. My _home_. Images from the night of the Summer Solstice flashed through my head and I remembered the black figure with the orange markings.

_The Caspana you seek is a child._

Draco's words spooked through my head like an evil curse at this moment. What if he was wrong? I couldn't just let that... _thing_ live! It went against everything the Book of Prayer taught us and therefore against anything the gods seemed as right and justice.

Whoever the friend he had talked about earlier was, they were gone. Probably, they were a Caspana too. I grit my teeth at the thought that we let one get away. But then again, we also caught one. One of many, but at least it was something. They were too big of a threat to be kept alive. They would burn down this nation and its people and throw the world into destruction.

»Your highness, it's not what you think-«

»SILENCE!« I yelled, my voice shrill from the fear.

»It's the curse. The fear isn't real.« Orion tried nevertheless. For the second time in a week I acted out of manner by growling in anger. How dared he talk back to _me_!?

»Guilty. You are _guilty_ , Orion.«

»But-«

»Her word is law!« One of the guards yelled at the Caspana.

»It is no law of mine.« Orion replied coldly.

»Put the shackles back on him, I will inform father.« I said and the guards obeyed. Half of them accompanied me to the stairs while the other half put the iron retrains back on the protesting Caspana.

 

When I was upstairs again and twilight sent its last shimmer of the day through the windows, I started to feel weird. Why had I been so fearful to begin with? I had seen demons plenty of times that had similar features as the Caspana, so why did I react so strongly?

»Your highness, his royal majesty is in his study.« One of the guards informed me, obviously with the intention of bringing me there.

»Wait, I cannot tell father yet. I judged rather harshly on the matter. I need more time to think about it. Until then, don't tell father.« I said and trotted off. The guards hastily followed me. I was on the way to the library. Maybe Celestia might have an explanation to this riddle.

 

Impatiently I walked up and down the hallway while Celestia had gone downstairs to the dungeons to see the Caspana and to speak to him herself. I would be pretty embarrassed if she'd end up not having the same reaction as I did.

Eventually, she emerged from the stairs again and I trotted up to her, my face as blank as I could muster. Still, I felt eagerly curious about what she had found out first-hand.

»I do not think he is guilty, your highness.« The librarian said right away and I flicked an ear in annoyance.

»He explained a lot to me, that you didn't give him a chance to explain to you. Important information that is.«

»Which would be?« I asked impatiently.

»His looks for example. He explained that they cause such fear because they are the reflection of one's soul. In other words, the night coat of a Caspana basically is the picture of their raw soul. No one can bear to see the sight of a real soul, because it would drive anyone mad. Therefore, the coat of a Caspana triggers a similar reaction.«

»Regardless, he looks like the Caspana that ran out of the castle and therefore the one that killed Draco. And he was in the city when it happened. He must be the one! What are the odds that there are two Caspanas with similar souls walking around the city?«

Celestia sighed and turned a few pages in her notebook until she stopped at one particular page. It was a rough drawing of a horse's coat. More specifically, the coat of the Caspana I had seen run out of the Castle. I had described it to the Librarian in detail and she had managed to make a one to one visual representation of it. Impressive. Now that I saw it, I could see the point she was trying to make, even without saying anything.

»It's not the same.« I admitted and flattened my ears in frustration.

»Your highness, I understand how you feel. I also want to catch this criminal as soon as possible to give them a rightful punishment for what they have done. But impatience is no reason to punish innocents.«

»You're right, it isn't.« It just would make me a monster. »But we cannot just set him free again! I mean, the public knows about his presence here. How would it look if we'd just let him go!?« I argued. A mass panic would no doubt be on the rise.

»Exactly. We need to keep him here. Get used to him, study him, treat him like a person. Once we know enough about Caspanas from him, we might have proofs to change the population's mind. Then we can let him free without a problem.« Celestia suggested. I considered it.

»It'll take years.«

»But that will be worth it, your highness.«

 

This night I slept well despite staying up to incredibly late the previous evening. Breakfast was the first thing today and after it, I'd talk to father about the Caspana.

I looked out of the window of the room that was currently mine and saw the big sun clock in the courtyard.

_What!? It was almost noon already!?_

I practically jumped at this and started yelling wildly when I stormed out of my room.

»Who had the nerve to let me _sleep in_!?« I screeched and couldn't care less that I was in my night gown right now. I galloped down the hallway, ignoring surprised exclamations from the guards and servants.

I decided to not waste time with searching in the dining hall for father. He wouldn't be there at this time. The throne room was my best bet, but when I arrived there, I found it empty.

»Where is father!?« I demanded one of the guards that was nearby.

»Your highness, you shouldn't-« the guard started and I knew what he was gonna say. But I couldn't pay heed to father being in important meetings right now, what I had to say had priority.

»I don't care!« I therefore snapped rather rudely. »Where is the king!?«

The guard hesitated for a moment before answering.

»The balcony for the centre courtyard.«

I didn't even ask what he was doing there, I just galloped off in a pace that would have put a leopard to shame. What usually took ten minutes now took me just two. I stormed on the balcony just as father was holding what seemed to be a speech. A group of people had formed in the courtyard. I didn’t care.

»Sire«, I said breathlessly and he paused, looking at me in surprise as if I'd be the last person he had been expecting. Mumbles went through the crowd below, no doubt pointing out the obvious: my appearance in a night gown.

»Preciosa, can it wait?« Father replied, his tone a weird mixture of annoyance and uncertainty. I knew that I shouldn't talk back to him and I normally wouldn't. Normally, I would stand by nice and quietly and wait for my turn to speak. But not this time.

My throat hurt from all the running, but I ignored it. »The Caspana is innocent.« I said in a hoarse voice, so quiet that probably only father could hear it. He furrowed his brow and looked at me strictly.

»None of them is innocent.« He said and his voice had a certain finality to it. I wondered about that. Usually he would say something like »We'll talk about this later«, but not this time. This time, the topic was not even open for discussion. I was frustrated, especially as father turned away from me to address the crowd again.

»I am a fair king, but as king Fintan before me, I have no choice but to rid this land of the incurable evil. As he mournfully put his brother to rest through an execution, I, Yandro Karim Alberetti, will now put this evil, that is plaguing our lands, to rest once and for all.« Father said. It was only then, that I looked down to see what the crowd was here for, when not for father's speech. My legs started to shiver when I saw what stood in the courtyard: a little platform and on it Orion. He had been forced into a lying position, secured through iron chains on the ground, with his head resting on a log. Beside him stood a gryphon with a scythe.

»No!« I yelled and my voice echoed through the courtyard. With that, I interrupted my father a second time and let more mumbles go through the crowd.

»Don't do that! He's innocent! He didn't kill Draco!« I begged, but father just looked at me passively. I knew this look. There was no changing his mind.

»Preciosa, be quiet. This has to be done.« He said with a slightly irritated voice. But I heard something else. Was that panic? Has he not thinking rationally? A king always had to be rational and we were talking about the life of an innocent person here!

»Please father, don't do this! Draco wouldn't want innocents to be executed!« What I thought to be a good argument, only made father angry. He glared at me, but I stood my ground without blinking.

»He is not here anymore. He is in Avalon.« Father said through gritted teeth. I knew Draco wasn't in Avalon. But how would I be able to tell that to father without sounding crazy?

»Please father, be reasonable. The Caspana didn't do anything to hurt people.« I tried, but father ignored me and instead turned to the crowd again.

»And so, in the name of the gods, I will free us from this evil.« he continued and I looked down to Orion in panic. He was looking at me and I saw witless fear in his eyes. My eyes probably mirrored his expression with an addition of panic. I wouldn't be able to get down to the courtyard in time when I took the stairs and I couldn't fly down either, since I had no wings.

»Let this teach the fae a lesson. They might be powerful, but we have the gods to protect us and I will act in their name. Let us remember this moment, since it will be the beginning of our way to peace.« Father continued and nodded to the gryphon.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the executioner raised the scythe.

»No! Don't do that! He's innocent!« I yelled, but I was not one to give orders here. The gryphon listened to my father and to him only. I might be the princess, but I did not have _that_ kind of authority.

The scythe moved downward in a rapid pace and while most people turned their heads to not see the moment of impact, I kept my gaze on Orion. I couldn't look away. I remembered that he could read thoughts and so I thought with all my might.

_I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this._

And then it was over. I had never seen a dead body before, or someone beheaded for that matter. It made me sick. Very sick. My shivering legs gave in to gravity and I fell to the floor of the balcony, leaning my head on the small wall that kept me from falling down and that also kept me from being seen by the crowd. People cheered, but I didn't. I cried.

_I'm sorry Draco, I couldn't keep my promise._

 

I could have gone back to my room and cried for the rest of the day, but I didn't. As they burned Orion's body, I went to the palace garden and plucked flowers I regarded as beautiful and which I was not allowed to pluck. Then I went to the mausoleum of Cellaryre to put them on Draco's grave. We couldn't really bury anything there, so we had just gathered some ashes from the castle and put them into the urn.

»There isn't really another grave I can go to, to pay my respects.« I said to the grave of my brother after I had made sure that there was no one around to hear me. I had escaped the guards like Draco had done so many times and I could imagine that they now ran through Cellaryre in panic, searching for me.

»You wanted me to stop father from killing innocents and I tried.« I looked down. »I really tried, but I couldn't. I'm sorry, Draco.« Tears started running down my face again. »They won't make him a grave, saying he was a disgrace to nature and a creature despised by the gods. But...he has...had a family. I want to give them my condolences.« I sniffled. »I hope you don't mind, but since you're the one who first wanted me to save Orion, I want to make this his unofficial grave too. Then I can pay my respects to both of you at the same time.« I gave half a smile at that. I knew Draco wouldn't have minded.

It was then, that I realised something once again: I was alone. Draco had always been my enemy and ally at the same time. I had worked against him and with him. In turn, he had done the same. Now, when I needed his help, he was gone and I had no one left to turn to. I wanted to cry and not seem weak. I wanted to be comforted by someone of who I knew they wouldn't judge me for feeling down.

Because I really was weak on my own. As a princess, I had not the power to stop further executions from happening. In order to do something, I needed people who listened to me. Not just that, but people who listened to me rather than to father. I needed people I could trust to follow my word instead of his currently misguided and irrational decisions.

I looked up at Draco's grave again. I couldn't keep one of my promises, but there was another one still open to be fulfilled.

 

I faintly knocked on the wooden door, four guards behind me. Since this was official business, I had not protested when they had insisted of accompanying me. The city wasn't the safest place anyway, so I was glad for their protection.

Now though, when I stood in front of this simple middle class home with my much too fancy dress for this part of the city, the guards seemed to be a little threatening.

The door opened and a black stallion stood in front of me. As he realised who I was, he fell down on one of his forelegs and bowed deep.

»Your highness, what gives us the honour of your visit?« He asked with his view cast groundward. I brooked it.

»I am here on business. Is Rylon home?« I asked the stallion, who I presumed was his father. Mr Morcos raised his head in surprise.

»Rylon? Yes, he's in his room.« He said, a little out of concept. My presence made him visibly nervous. »Please come in, I'll get him.« He eventually said and disappeared somewhere inside the house.

»Dear, who are the visitors?« A female voice asked loudly out of another room. I assumed it to be Mrs Morcos. Mr Morcos didn't answer her. I stepped into the entrance hall with two guards following me. The other two stood outside to keep watch. Without further ado, I went to where I had heard the female voice and thought about introducing myself, though an introduction probably was unnecessary. Not introduction then. They knew who I was. Everyone knew who I was. A simple greeting would probably suffice.

»Good afternoon.« I said as I stepped into a room that seemed to be the kitchen. A grey mare in a black dress turned around and looked at me in object horror before she remembered her manners and, like her husband before her, fell into a respectful bow.

»Your highness, what an honour.« She said, also similar to her husband.

»I am here because of Rylon.« I said. In contrary to her husband, Mrs Morcos didn't seem surprised of this at all.

»Oh, of course.« She said and nodded in understanding. Behind me, Mr Morcos came back into the kitchen, but Rylon was nowhere to be seen.

»Locked himself in his room. I am sorry about this, your highness.« He said apologetically and looked to the guards, apparently silently suggesting for them to make kindling out of Rylon's room door. I had a better idea though.

»This is no problem at all.« I said. »Show me his room.«

Mr Morcos did what I asked and I looked at the wooden thing for a moment in thought. Draco had often been here but for me it was the first time stepping over the doorstep of a middle-class home. It was strange, in a sense. Everything looked simpler. I was used to a lot more luxury. At this moment, I realised why Draco had liked it here so much. He always had been much simpler minded than I was and he could rather cope with less than with too much.

I knocked on the simple, middle-class door.

»Rylon Morcos. Open this door, I am here on royal business. If not, my guards will have to resort to force.« After that, it only took a few seconds until I heard a key turn. The door opened and before me stood a colt that looked like he was about to faint.

»Wh-wh-what? I-I mean...what brings you _here_?« He asked, unable to hide his utter confusion of me being inside his house. Apparently, the concept didn't exist for him. Then again, I couldn't blame him. I hadn't imagined anything like this either. Not a week ago at least.

I looked to one of the guards and nodded, which made him withdraw a scroll from his bag and unroll it to read what was written on it.

 

» _Rylon Morcos,_

_You are hereby invited to participate in the Training School for Military Services at the royal palace of Cellaryre. The costs will be taken by her royal highness, Preciosa Melendis Alberetti, up until you're the age of 8. With agreeing to this invitation, you are automatically enrolled into the school and can start your training as early as the following day._

 

_With best Regards,_

 

 _Preciosa Melendis Alberetti and Commander Razak_ «

 

When Rylon looked like he was about to faint before, then now he looked like he was about to drop dead on the spot. His mother had started crying tears of joy while the guard had read the letter and Mr Morcos looked like he couldn't believe his ears.

»This is an invitation, not an order. You can decide yourself if you want to accept it or not.« I added into the silence. This seemed to bring Rylon back to reality.

»T-this...are you serious?...Your highness.« He asked, adding the latter after remembering his manners. I gave him a smile that was not really a smile. After a day like today, an honest smile was impossible.

»What reason would I have to come here personally? I have better things to do than to play pranks, especially on a day like today.« I said, my fake smile melting and my expression shifting to one of seriousness.

»I'm sorry, that was rude.« Rylon said and lowered his head. »A-and I accept.« He quickly added with a shivering voice, still not being able to believe that this was really happening. I nodded in approval and then looked at him.

»Can we talk in private for a moment?« I asked, but directed the question towards the two guards and Rylon's parents.

»Your highness, we are ordered to stay at your side at all times.« One of the guards argued. I gave him a sarcastic expression Draco would have been proud of.

»Because a colt younger than me, who I just offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, is going to murder me. Of course.« The guard shuffled uncomfortably.

»Of course not, but-« I didn't let him finish.

»Stay here. I will still be alive in five minutes.« I said with an eye roll and then proceeded to lightly push a very confused Rylon back into his room.

When I locked his door, he still looked at me in confusion.

»Did you hear about the execution?« I boldly asked. Rylon just nodded, his expression grim, but also relieved.

»He was an innocent. An innocent with a wife and a little daughter who waited for his return. I couldn't save him.« I looked to the side in frustration and regret.

»Innocent? But-«

»He didn't kill Draco.« I argued and looked at Rylon with a slight fury in my eyes which made him shut up and look away.

»The only reason he had to die was because father is blinded by revenge and tries to justify it with the same parts of the Brook of Prayer that Santugan used for centuries to justify their crimes.« I shook my head. »With Draco gone, I will someday be queen of Koruna, which means that it will be left to me to make the right decisions.« I looked at Rylon. »And I will not allow such injustice to happen then.«

Rylon didn't know what to say to that. I waited for a few seconds for him to say something and when he didn't, I continued.

»I didn't give you an invitation to be a minstrel, but to be a guard. A soldier. Someone I can trust to follow _me_. Someone who dares to be more loyal to me than to father.« This time I kept my silence. It was his turn to speak. It took him a while to find his voice.

»Why me?« He asked. A genuine question. I could have chosen _anyone_ but I chose _him_. That he wanted to know why was natural.

»Because Draco said I could trust you.« It was the only reason, really. I never have had much to do with Rylon personally and all I know about him is from what Draco told me.

»Y-you can! I would never betray you.« Rylon said and hesitantly bowed before me, realizing he had missed to do so earlier.

»Rylon, whether I can trust you or not will show. Your word doesn't mean anything to me as long as I cannot be sure of it to be genuine. People say a lot of the things they think I _want_ to hear, but they don't mean it. I'm sorry for being doubtful, I know it is rude.« I said.

»It's no-«

»It _is_. Also, my actions can be unrighteous and rude. This is one of the things you have to understand. Or did you say such things to Draco too?«

»N-no, I didn't, your highness.«

»Preciosa. My name is Preciosa and you can call me by it.«

»This is not proper, your highness.« Rylon argued and shyly pawed at the ground with a hoof.

»Rylon, when we're among ourselves, you can call me Preciosa. Otherwise I am left with only my mourning parents to call me that. I am not used to that and I don't want to get used to it.« I paused for a second and looked at the ground. »Draco is gone and with that my only brother and best friend.« I looked at Rylon again.

»To get through this all and grow up to be a queen, I could need a friend again. Someone I can trust. And Draco was sure that you could be that to me.«

Rylon was again silent, struck with the huge honour I had just given him, probably the biggest honour he could imagine. It was something, many people dreamed about. The black colt seemed to think of what to say, but then just nodded. I gave him half a smile.

_Looks like I could keep at least one promise, Draco._


	18. A New Journey Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is a little bit of gore in this chapter

** Chapter 17 **

* * *

**A New Journey Begins**

_7 th Equos 802 a.w._

> ** _Drako_ **

And you really don’t want any payment in exchange for taking us along?«, Terence asked flabbergasted. The merchant just shrugged and loaded the next chest into the wagon with magic.

»I’m travelling to Jenkins anyway and my wagon isn’t as full as I’d like it to be, so there’s enough room for an adult and a kid there. But if you _want_ to pay me, I won’t object«, the wolf said and chuckled.

»We don’t have a lot of money, sir«, I said, having heard Terence mumble about it earlier.

»I see. But if you _really_ want to pay, you can do that by helping me tend to the oxen«, he said and gestured to the two animals that were hitched in front of the big merchant wagon. I trotted over to them and looked at their big brown eyes curiously. It was weird to stare an animal in the face. There was no sentience at all about them.

»Careful kid, they bite«, the merchant called right before one of the oxen snapped at me. I made a startled jump back. They didn’t seem to be quite as friendly as Korrul had been.

»Have you heard about what happened in Monabur?«, a person behind me suddenly asked. I turned around and saw someone who was tending to some witless goats talk to someone else who was standing by the gate of the fence. While the one with the goats was a coyote, the latter seemed to be a demon lynx, which was the only kind of demon that was socially accepted in Koruna. I pretended to still have my attention on the oxen of the merchant, but listened in on what they were talking about.

»Everyone heard it by now. It’s been over two weeks after all. I wouldn’t be surprised if news already reached Nordberg too«, the demon lynx said and nodded to a falcon that sat next to him on the fence and which preened its wings. »My bird brought me the news only one day after it happened. When it takes one day to Kerven, then I’m sure a messenger can make it in just two weeks of time to Nordberg.«

»I meant what happened after that«, the coyote said. »Apparently, they took extra precautions about who they let out of the city and in those checks they caught a Caspana.«

My heart stopped for a beat and it now was very hard not to turn my head towards the two people.

»Really now? That would mean we’re safe now, right?«, the demon lynx said, seemingly relieved.

»Nah, it wasn’t the one that murdered the prince, apparently. But he was a danger anyway, so they executed him.«

No. I must have misheard that. Or they were lying. Yes, it was just a rumour. There was no way this was true. My father wouldn’t execute someone innocent and Prech would not let it come to this either, especially not after I talked to her. They must have misunderstood it somewhere. There was no way-

»Now don’t be ridiculous. If you’d be talking about Santugan, I’d believe you, but there aren’t any public executions without trials in Monabur«, the demon lynx said. That was right. There were no public executions unless someone was proven guilty of numerous crimes.

»No, it’s true, I swear! It happened five days after Summer Solstice. I was leaving with my caravan on that day, so I haven’t seen it myself, but the whole city was talking about it.«

The day after I left. But that couldn’t be true.

I heard someone scream »Liars!« and only after a moment realised that it had been me who said it. I was facing the two adults now who looked at me with puzzled expressions. »T-they wouldn’t execute innocents«, I added desperately. »It can’t be true.«

»Well, I wouldn’t exactly call a _Caspana_ innocent«, the coyote said and shrugged.

»Look, tyke, it was probably to soothe the minds of us people to show that even such enormous threats can be dealt with«, the demon lynx added. That just made me furious though.

»They wouldn’t do that!«, I insisted. »It must have been without the king knowing.«

»Unlikely. No one would go against the will of the king, unless they want to be beheaded themselves«, the demon lynx said.

Beheaded!? For disobeying the king? Father wouldn’t do that. I never heard anything of that. That’s probably how normal people thought it went.

»Besides, I heard it was the king’s order specifically«, the coyote added.

»How dare you s-«

»Enough, kid.« Suddenly Terence had stepped in front of me and gave me a look that was neither strict nor mad. He just looked like I should obey to his warning if I knew what was good for me. He was right. I almost let something slip. I heard him apologize to the two men and then he led me back to the other side of the wagon which the wolf merchant had now finished loading stuff into.

»What was the commotion about?«, he asked interested, only having caught a little of it apparently.

»They said they _beheaded_ a Caspana in Monabur. That’s not true«, I said and looked to the ground.

»As much as I heard, it is true«, the wolf said sympathetically.

»It’s not«, In insisted. If it was true, then it would mean that it was my fault. Someone died because of me. Someone innocent who had done no wrong. They had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. I felt tears welling up in my eyes as it was slowly sinking in.

Someone was dead because of me.

Terence lead me into the wagon where we laid down while the wolf sat up front and made the oxen move. Kerven grew smaller and smaller the further away we got and so did the desert on the horizon as the sun set. I didn’t pay it any heed though but just silently cried, while Terence tried to comfort me.

»There is nothing you could have done to prevent it. It’s not your fault«, he said and nudged me sympathetically.

»B-but…«, I whimpered, my voice too shaky to form words.

»You did everything you could in telling your sister to prevent it. That she wasn’t able to so is in no way your fault.«

I didn’t reply, I just stayed silent and cried. This was too much too suddenly.

 

I didn’t know when it happened, but at some point while crying, I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up again, the world had become still. A few cricked chirred, which indicated that it was not quite night yet, but rather late evening. I still was lying in the wagon and a blanket had been draped over me so that I wouldn't feel cold. I looked around, but couldn't see Terence anywhere. Probably he had lain down somewhere outside.

Throwing the blanket aside, I got to my hooves and jumped out of the wagon. Having slept enough was not the only reason why I had woken up. I had to follow the call of nature. Urgently.

When I got back to the wagon and lay down again, sleep didn't want to come back to me. I felt somewhat dizzy and empty. The latter also physically, even though I have had a good lunch. It was more like an underlying hunger and it made me restless. I have never had that before, probably because I have never been in a situation where I had to starve. But then again, I hadn't felt like _this_ even when I had been kept captured on the slave market. It was different.

I gritted my teeth, hoping it would help, though it didn't. It was like my hunger for flesh, which had grown in the last few weeks, was driving me insane. I wanted to bury my teeth into something _so badly_. So eventually I buried my teeth in some hay for the oxen. I knew it wasn't meant for eating, but it also couldn't be poisonous when the oxen got to eat it.

It tasted bitter and disgusting, but at least it helped to soothe my mind a little. I regrettably chewed and swallowed the mouth full of hay and then lay my head down again, attempting to sleep. With the bitter taste in my mouth, I eventually managed to silence this hunger enough to find some rest.

 

I was awoken by a curse. I attentively moved my ears to hear what it was about and also let out a yawn.

»Told ya they'd bite«, the wolf chuckled, while Terence let loose another curse that probably wasn't meant for my ears. Curious to see what had happened, I jumped out of the wagon and walked around it. The oxen were not hitched to it anymore but stood on a few meters away, grazing. They had ropes around their necks that were secured at a tree, so that they couldn't run away, but still had enough room to walk around. The wolf merchant cleaned one of them with a brush while Terence let loose another set of swears on the other animal. Apparently it had bit him in the shoulder, since I saw him bleeding there lightly.

»Good morning«, I said and trotted up to the two.

»Morning, kid. What was your name again?«, the wolf merchant asked and paused brushing the ox while he looked at me.

»Drako. And what's your name?« I wasn't even sure if he had introduced himself. At least not to me.

»You can call me Kyll«, he replied with a friendly smile while hitting the ox once with a paw when it attempted to bite him.

»And, kid? How are you today?«, Terence asked carefully while moving a few meters away from the ox. I sighed. How was I today? The fact that someone was executed because of me and that it would maybe not be the last, was still very present in my mind. Despite the sunny weather, I couldn't really feel joyful. I didn't want to worry Terence any further though, so I said the first other thing that came to my mind.

»Hungry.«

Terence gave me a tired smile while the merchant, Kyll, chuckled.

»We'll eat breakfast once the oxen are cleaned«, he said.

»Why do they need to be clean anyway? It's not like there are any people out here in the wilderness to see them«, I pointed out.

»True, but it's not good for their coat to be dirty and the harness will excoriate on it when it's not clean. I don't want these two to get hurt after all.«

»Can I help?«, I asked, interested in the task of cleaning a biting ox. It had a certain thrill to it since you never knew when it would snap at you.

»I dunno, kid. You could get hurt«, Terence said a little worried. I just trotted up to him and the oxen that had bitten him. Only now I noticed that the animal had bitten Terence on his blind side. No wonder he hadn't seen it coming.

»Have you ever been picked and clawed at by a falcon?«, I asked in return. Terence's look of worry changed to one of confusion.

»No, have you?«

I nodded with a sigh. »Prech has a falcon that listens to her and she wanted to try out hunting …  and I was the prey.«

»A trained falcon? Aren't they kind of expensive?«, Kyll asked. I shrugged.

»She got it gifted by a wealthy relative.« That wasn't even a lie. Our uncle had gifted a falcon to both Prech and me, but the bird became very attached to my sister and seemed to despise me. We had called it _Rashak_ but after Prech kept calling him _Rash_ , he ended up listening to that only. I eventually had accepted that Rash was more my sister's pet than he was mine. Had he survived the fire? I hoped so.

»But when I survived a falcon attack, I will probably also survive a bite from an ox«, I reasoned. The merchant seemed doubtful.

»I dunno. They have quite a strong jaw. When they really bite you, you might lose an ear or something. Better let me and your Dad handle this.«

»He's my younger cousin«, Terence clarified.

»Oh, sorry. From the age he could be your son though, so I just assumed that«, Kyll said.

I should have been disappointed, but the task of brushing an ox suddenly moved to the back of my head while another thought pushed itself forward. What was my father doing right now? If he really had ordered an execution, then why? And what about mother? What did she think of all this? The last time I had seen her and father was in the night of the fire when I had run past them. Before that at Summer Solstice, I was at the temple with them and my father had opened the prayer. Mother had seemed proud of us, Prech and me. I missed her. How much would I give to hug her one more time? I hadn't even been able to say goodbye to her.

 

Terence and Kyll finished cleaning the oxen eventually, while I lay down on the grass to watch them. I playfully caught a small lizard at the tail with my hoof. It struggled to escape, but for some reason I didn't want to let it go. The hunger from last night returned very suddenly. The urge to bury my teeth into something was even stronger now that I had a potential meal right in front of me. Not that I really planned on eating a lizard but…

I looked up to see if Terence and Kyll were still occupied with cleaning the oxen. They were. A mischievous grin spread across my face when I fixed my eyes on the lizard again.

 _Am I really_ that _hungry?,_ I suddenly asked myself with a puzzled expression. Why would I eat a gecko? Did I really want to _eat_ it? No, I didn't want to eat it. My jaw ached on how hard I forced it not to move. I wanted to _kill_ it. The thought of it even filled me with joy. The corners of my mouth   twitched when a mad smile tried to spread itself on my face. All it took was one bite, not more. Then the gecko would be dead. Just one-

»Drako, what did you find there?« My head shot up in surprise. I was so startled that I lifted my hoof a little, allowing the lizard to free itself and escape me in a rapid speed. I let out an annoyed growl and jumped up, about to chase after it, but I stopped myself.

»A gecko«, I said and watched the grass suspiciously.

»Better don't try to catch them. They throw off their tails when they feel threatened«, Terence advised me, but it was already too late for that. The gecko's tail lay in the grass before me, but I was not interested in it. I was only interested in the gecko itself. The _alive_ gecko.

With an annoyed snort I lay down into the grass again and kept watching Kyll and Terence clean the oxen, though that wasn't much fun. Counting grass leaves wasn't much fun either. And I thought we were in a hurry!

 

After what seemed to be an eternity, the oxen had finally been cleaned and the harnesses put back on them. And with that, it was finally time to eat breakfast. I was starving!

To my utter disappointment, Terence had only brought bread and some potatoes, no meat. Actually, I should have expected that since he has said earlier already that meat was expensive. It still was disappointing.

And so I ate my ration of bread. Without anything on it of course. Just dry bread. It was better than nothing. I slowly started to miss the food I had gotten back home at the palace. Then I saw Kyll eating some dried meat and I unintentionally started staring at it like a hungry dog. He noticed it.

»You want one?«, he asked and offered me a slice, which I more than just thankfully took. It wasn't like eating fresh meat, but it was meat regardless, which was a hundred times better than just plain bread.

»Maybe you were a wolf in a past life«, Kyll joked as he watched me tear at the meat eagerly. »I used to love these things as a snack when I was a kid. Where others got a biscuit, I got a piece of jerky. I guess that just lies in our nature. Former carnivores subconsciously prefer meat and former herbivores like vegetables and fruit better.«

»There might be exceptions to that«, Terence said with a look to me. Kyll laughed.

»There sure are! I heard that one of the princesses of Dorgoil doesn't eat meat at all«, he snorted dismissively, »those spoiled royals, am I right? Being picky with what they eat while others don't have anything to eat at all.«

I swallowed the last bit of the jerky hard. Even though Kyll hadn't directly spoken of me, it still felt like an accusation because, honestly, he was right. I was used to being picky simply because I _could_ be picky. But not anymore. From now on, I'd probably have to be glad for every meal I got. The short time I had spent at the slave market spooked through my head again. No food and no water. It had been hell, though a lot of other factors had also added to that. Still, I did not like hunger nor thirst. The idea of having to live of less of the former wasn't really thrilling. I was hungry. Again, that hunger from before when I had caught the lizard. I tried to suppress it. After all, I had just eaten something and had to get used to it.

 

After breakfast we continued our journey with Kyll up front and Terence and me in the wagon. For a while, I just watched the landscape outside go by and played guessing games to kill time. In the early afternoon we took a small break after which Kyll asked me if I wanted to try to sit with him in the coach box and steer the oxen. I was thrilled, since that would finally give me something to do and on top of that, I had never even sat in a coach box before.

Making the oxen go where you wanted to go was relatively easy, but it still filled me with a feeling of satisfaction. It felt good to be in control of at least _something_ since everything else in my life had become very chaotic.

 

When I lay in the wagon again the following night, I couldn't help but think about a lot of things again. I wasn't tired at all, even though the sun had long since set. All that was left for me to do was to look at the starlit sky. Summer Solstice seemed like an eternity ago already, even though it had just been almost three weeks. A few weeks. For me, a time span like this had seemed like an eternity anyway, but now, it felt like half a year went by. I didn't even want to think about what could have happened in Monabur in this time. Had more innocents been executed? Had they caught more Caspanas? I hoped not.

 

The days went by like this. Waking up, cleaning the oxen, travelling, taken one or two breaks and then going to rest for the night. The landscape became more green the further north we got and the air became colder. Not enough to make me freeze, but it wasn't the unbearable heat of the desert anymore.

 

When Kyll said that it was still one two days until we'd reach Jenkins, the day went on like the previous days, with one small difference: the weather. So far it had been sunny and warm, like I knew it, but this day, clouds hid the sun. It was still warm, but I felt a weird tension in the air.

»Looks like there'll be a thunderstorm«, Terence remarked after a while.

»Yep, looks like it. Keep watch for a cave or something else where we can seek shelter,« Kyll replied from the coach box ahead. I flattened my ears. Thunderstorms meant rain and I didn't like rain.

Since the landscape here was somewhat _mountainy_ we also managed to find a cave, or at least something like it. So Terence and I were stuck in a cave. Again. I wasn't happy about it at all, but it was better than being grilled by lightning, I guess.

And so, we waited. And waited. We waited until I was tired of it. When there was no thunderstorm, then what were we waiting for?! The tension in the air had increased, so it actually should be here any moment. But it wasn't. There wasn't even distant thunder or anything to announce it. The only thing that was there were the dark clouds overhead that swallowed most of the daylight.

Deciding that waiting was unnecessary, I decided to step out of the cave.

»Drako, stay here. The thunderstorm is about to start«, Terence said strictly. I stopped and turned around to him with a frown.

»No, it isn't«, I said and then just trotted out of the cave. The situation felt kinda similar, like I had done something like this before. Well, not exactly _this,_ but something similar. Of course I had. Disobeying the rules and orders I had been given had so far been one of my favourite activities, so why stop with it now? At least at this moment, my action seemed to be justified in my point of view. The thunderstorm wasn't here, so there was no danger in walking around outside. If I'd hear thunder, I'd just go back to the cave and hide there. Simple. I didn't even know what Terence and Kyll made all this fuss about.

My string of rebellious thoughts came to an abrupt end when I saw something white out of the corner of my eye. Something small and fluffy white. I silently turned around to see what it was. There, at the edge of the forest between the bushes, was a rabbit that noshed some leaves.

Suddenly, everything changed. My senses sharpened, so that I could even hear the faint noise the animal made, I smelled its fur, I more than before sensed the electricity in the air. I went into a crouching position like a predator, while my look stayed fixed on the rabbit. I set one hoof in front of the other, slowly, silently. But not silent enough, because the rodent sniffed the air and then noticed me. Immediately it retreated to the safe cover of the forest and in the same second I fell into a sharp gallop after it. Terence, who had all the while approached me from a distance to get me back into the cave, shouted something after me, but I didn't even hear what he said. All I cared about was the fleeing white thing in front of me.

It was like with the lizard a few days ago. I didn't care about the creature itself. All I cared about was the thrill of the hunt and the awaiting satisfaction of burying my teeth in its flesh. Again, a mad grin spread across my face at the thought of that and I sped up my pace.

My mane fluttered in the wind and the whole hunt was thrilling. Absolutely thrilling. There was no other word for it. I wanted to catch the rabbit. I wanted to taste its flesh. I wanted to feel the satisfaction of having killed something. And meat. The taste of meat and blood. The thought of it alone made my tongue dry of voracity.

The rabbit was fast, very fast in fact. And it was in an advantage by being smaller and therefore fitting where I didn't fit. The trees here did not have any protruding roots, so that it couldn't just squeeze itself beneath one in the hopes of me not being able to reach it. Neither was there any other place for it to hide. All it could do was run and hope to lose me. It was fast and I almost felt bad for how hard it tried to outrun me. But I was faster.

With an unpractised jump, I closed in the last few meters and tried to get it with my teeth. It managed to dodge and I fell to the ground. With a snarl, I got up again and pursued it again. This wasn't over yet!

I snarled again, this time in utter annoyance, when my cloak caught itself in some brambles. I swiftly took it off. It was just holding me back anyway.

With the black piece of fabric gone, I felt more agile and faster than before. The grin came back to me, especially when I saw that the rabbit slowly grew tired. That was my chance! Once again, I lunged forward and this time it was too slow to dodge.

My teeth sank into its flesh with almost no resistance at all. Like I was cutting butter with a knife. The speed I have had jerked my body forward, which resulted me in falling to the ground again. This time I didn't mind, because I had caught my prey.

> ** _Terence_ **

When Drako went out of the cave in what seemed to be an act of rebellion, I just followed him. He might be used to disobeying authorities, but I wouldn't let this slide. No matter who he had been, he was now a wanted _criminal_ and _I_ was responsible for him. Letting something happen to him just because I couldn't win his recognition. Nope, not happening! After about one hundred meters he stopped and looked at the forest. No, not at the forest, but rather at something in the bushes at the edge of it. I couldn't see what I was, but I saw Drako get into a crouching position.

No matter how far we had set ourselves apart from animals, horses still were no predators by nature and therefore it just looked _wrong_ to see an equine in such a position. Not just said, but it looked downright scary. This was no normal behaviour. It must be the curse.

Sure, he had acted out of the ordinary before, so that he had growled when he was angry or used a faerie voice when he felt threatened, but that had just been reactions. This here, was a conscious action. An instinct. And not an innocent one either, but the instinct to hunt...and to kill.

»Get back here this instant!«, I yelled over the field, but in this moment, the colt broke into a gallop that was faster than it  could possibly be under normal circumstances. I cursed slightly and ran after him. It was hard to navigate in the thickly overgrown forest without stereoscopic vision and I had no experience in tracking, which didn't make this any easier. Still, I managed an air spell that made me be able to track the colt to a certain accuracy. It was as rough as it got, but it was better than nothing.

It took about ten minutes, until I found Drako’s cloak. After that, it was easy to make out the noise of something nearby. Just about one hundred meters away from where I found the cloak, I finally could make out a black form on the ground that seemed to munch on something. He heard me approach before I could even say anything and the scene that stretched itself out before me was something that was going to haunt me in my nightmares.

Drako, with the most innocent and joyful grin in his face, as if someone just had given him his favourite thing in the world. A grin, that was not only overly joyful and innocent, but also bloody and dangerous. His teeth had somehow changed to fangs. No, not fangs. Fangs were just two or at most four sharp teeth. His teeth, though, were all, without exception, sharp as daggers. One bite of them in the neck and I'd be dead in a matter of seconds.

But he didn't just look like a predator, he _was_ a predator. The dead rabbit in front of him proved that. At the sight of it I got sick. It had not just been killed but was completely torn apart. Its entrails were spilled on the ground and its flesh had been madly torn at with teeth that knew no resistance nor mercy. The only thing that still made the animal recognisable as a rabbit, was the head, that had been ripped off and carelessly thrown to the side.

»I caught it, Terence!«, Drako now said happily and grinned from ear to ear. He couldn't have looked prouder if he had just told me that he had been accepted at a Magic Academy. I swallowed and tried my best to resist the urge to take a step back.

Drako tilted his head at my hesitation in confusion and suddenly I saw just how much he still was a little kid. He didn't understand what was right or wrong, especially not now when his new instincts had him in their control.

»What's wrong?«, he asked, not knowing what he could have done wrong. He also seemed to have forgotten that he ran away from the cave. I had no idea what to say, so I just looked at him in silence. All this time I have feared this would happen. That someday, Drako would become like Celestia's books had said and that he couldn't do anything to stop it. I had tried my best with writing all the odd behaviour he showed down, but in the end, those were just words on paper. This, however, was the cruel reality and I had no clue if there even was something I could do to prevent it from getting worse. When he already now killed without regret, how long would it take until he'd move on from animals and attack innocent people? Would that ever happen? It wasn't allowed to happen.

My view fell on what was left of the rabbit, just to look somewhere else than at Drako. This resulted in Drako also looking at his disassembled prey. For a moment, his look was still confused, but then realisation slowly seemed to dawn on him. His ears flattened more and more until they lay flat on his head and his look of confusion changed to one of horror. He looked at the bloody mess and then licked his lips that were still full of the rabbit's blood. When he did that, I saw that also his teeth had changed back to normal.

»Why, Drako?« The question was out before I could bite on my tongue and the colt's look snapped back to me in horror. He looked at me desperately and shook his head, his eyes full of fear. He didn't need to say anything, I understood just fine. He hadn't wanted to do this.

»Terence, I...«, he started, but didn't finish the sentence. He seemed to try to apologise, but didn't know how. I stayed silent and just looked at him.

»I couldn't resist. It just felt so _good_ , but...« I could clearly see in his eyes how hard it was for him to admit the truth. He didn't want it to be true, but at the same time he and I both knew that it was true and that there was no saying in when it would happen next.

At the one hand, Drako looked mortified, but on the other hand, he also looked like a kid that had been caught stealing sweets. No matter how terrifying the whole thing was for me, it wasn't nearly as terrifying for Drako. He didn't seem to understand just _how_ this was terrifying or _why_. He just knew that he had been caught with doing something bad. Something very bad. But he didn't understand what it meant for the future.

To be honest, neither did I.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is art to go with this chapter: https://lilafly.deviantart.com/art/First-Kill-688652203  
> Warning though, it's a little gory.


	19. Bloodlust

** Chapter 18 **

* * *

**Bloodlust**

_12 th Equos 802 a.w._

> ** _Drako_ **

There were things I could cope with and others I absolutely couldn't. Some even came with a condition. Like being chased by raptors in the desert. I could cope with the aftermath under the condition that I a) wasn't killed by the beasts and b) didn't end up with any other long-term injuries that would disable me. When it came to situations I could comfortably cope with these days, then it probably would be just walking. The simple act of walking, because one could hardly screw that up.  We were walking north to be exact, so it was getting colder. The cold was another thing I could cope with. Sure, I would prefer warmth, but last time I checked I didn't have powers that could control the climate. I doubt anyone could do that actually, even with the magic I have had after the curse awoke. Which was officially gone now by the way, thanks a lot, gods. Not. It was useful while it lasted though!

This left me with the worst-case scenario I could not cope with. I had to admit that it wasn't the first time in the last moon that such a scenario had occurred.

The first one had obviously been the fire, the second one had been the curse, which caused me to have more than just a panic attack. Then there had been the slave market. It would probably always give me nightmares and I would lie if I'd say that I was over it already. I hadn't been there long, but the little time I've spent there had been enough to permanently scar my mind.

But that was by far not the end of life-changing catastrophes! Right when I had assumed to be in _safety_ in Kerven, I had heard about the execution of the Caspana. The death of an innocent _I_ was responsible for. To say that I felt guilty about it did not even scratch the surface. I was utterly _devastated_ , having turning into a weeping ball of misery for _days_. I would have continued with it, if it hadn't been for the most recent addition to my long list of problems and other horrors.

_Hunger._

And no, not the usual peckish hunger one felt once and again or even the hunger one had after a day of not eating anything – which was something I had experienced first-hand at the slave market, so it was indeed a familiar concept to me. No, the hunger that plagued me was none of those. It was like I hadn't eaten in a _moon! At least!_ It almost drove me insane.

Wait, had I said _almost?_ Silly me. It _did_ drive me _literally insane_. Insane to the point where I ignored the safety of a cave to face a thunderstorm that could have very well killed me, to _hunt a rabbit_. Yes, I couldn't make this up even if I tried. A rabbit. A white witless rabbit that had done nothing to me except simply being in my line of vision at the wrong time. And I had not just _hunted_ the poor thing, I have _enjoyed_ hunting it. Really, I have never felt this good in my entire life! The best part had been when I had...killed it. _KILLED!_ I _killed_ an animal! My stomach turned when I thought about the fact that I also mangled it beyond recognition and _ate_ it.

The only _good_ thing, if you could call it that, to come out of it, was that I have snapped out of my insanity right after it happened. Did that make everything okay then? NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! Not by a _long shot_!

So, take all those facts and imagine arriving in a merchant village full of people. Yeah, staying in my room and planning to not ever coming out of it again seemed like a reasonable course of action. Which is exactly what I did for three days. Staying in the room, thinking about my life and all the things that have gone so horribly wrong in it lately. It was not the least bit fun to do so. Actually, I think I might have given myself emotional whiplash from it and more than just one panic attack.

But the objective of getting to Nordberg didn't cancel itself just because I was a traumatized mess. No, it mercilessly continued! Terence had been kind enough to give me a few days to deal with everything. A few days we couldn't actually spare but did anyway. But three days later we had to get going again. For one, because we needed to arrive in Nordberg before autumn, that much was clear. The second reason was much simpler and much more frustrating though: we simply couldn't afford to pay for the room in the inn for any longer than those three days. Not without demolishing any kind of chance to ever find even a _room_ to stay at in Nordberg, let alone a house. Terence had explained it to me in so much excruciating detail and urgency, that it was hard _not_ to understand it, even if I was just a two-year-old.

So, continuing our journey it was! I was not even remotely _close_ to being ready for it, but that simply was not taken into consideration. Or it couldn't be. Whatever. I was left to subject myself to the act of simply _walking_ again while Terence had fallen into idle chatter with the merchants we were travelling with. Hadn't I once claimed that the simple act of walking could hardly be something to fail at? Well, I had been wrong.

We hadn't even made it outside of Jenkins yet and I had managed to fall flat on my face. Immediately I heard a shout, assuming it to be Terence who was worried about me. I was wrong .... again _!_

When I finally managed to climb back to my hooves and look down to see if I actually tripped over something or had managed to pull off the embarrassing act of tripping over my own legs, I noticed that it – thankfully? – was the former. To my utter horror and embarrassment, it was not object I had stumbled over though, but a _person_.

_Oh, by Cynfor! Can't I ever get a break these days!?_

“I am very sorry...”, I said, my voice a little hoarse due to not using it for much else than crying and eating in the last few days.

“Oh, it's fine”, the small fox girl replied somewhat sheepishly. No wait, not a fox. She had wings and her front legs were clawed and feathered, like those of a gryphon, or any bird's claws for that matter. A picture of Rash's claws ghosted through my head, along with a vivid memory of what they felt like. I shuddered. Not a pleasant memory. The girl seemed to notice my gaze shifting and gave me a sheepish smile as she now also picked herself up from the ground, stretching her wings once before folding them neatly on her back again.

“I'm an enfield. I know, we're rare and barely known”, she said and looked to the side. “I should get going, sorry for getting in your way.”

I watched her pick up a basket and walk away as fast as it was possible when one only used three legs. She seemed to be in the middle of buying something and judging by her dress she was either a normal villager or someone's attendant. I was no expert on clothing, especially not when it came to the Middle Lands and North Lands, but one had to cut me some slack: I _had_ lived in _Cellaryre_ , the palace of Monabur!

“Kid, are you coming?”

Terence's shout got me back from my thoughts and I immediately spun around to follow him and the merchants again, who had halted just briefly to wait for me. How kind. I apologized and picked up the monotony of walking again.

While the last time I had tried it and failed – mere minutes ago – should have taught me to be more careful, I apparently was not one to learn from my mistakes today. To my credit though, we made it out of town before I stumbled and fell again. This time, I had really managed to trip over air, making the whole thing even more embarrassing. My reasoning behind it was that I was just too distracted, because, to my horror, the hunger was an insisting force. I had to concentrate all my mind's energy on simply doing what I did and not look at noises on the bushes or, gods forbid, chase after the critters that made the noise!

So, after I picked myself up, I found it to be a very reasonable suggestion, when one of the merchants offered me to let me ride in their wagon, so that I wouldn't end up breaking a leg. His words, not mine, though I suppose I couldn't blame him for thinking I would bring harm to myself when this continued. I was so focused on not being distracted, that I ended up being utterly distracted – if that made any sense. So, distracted in fact, that I could very well imagine me to have walked off a cliff without noticing until it would have been too late. Thankfully there weren't any cliffs nearby.

In any case, the sentiment was welcomed and I accepted the offer. This lead me to having time to _think_ again. Dangerous territory there, but my other option was the watch the not so interesting landscape of a tree line on one side and open plain on the other. There also was the option of listening to the adults talk, but their conversations included things that did not interest me at all, like politics of businesses. So, it was me and my thoughts again.

 _Hello again, voice inside my head. It has unfortunately_ not _been a while!_

I guess the following hours were what one could call “arguing with oneself”, which is precisely what I did. Thinking about the worst scenario topics that had occurred for the recent one was not something I wanted to go into. I had done that often enough in the last three days. The current worst-case scenario – mangled rabbit, remember? Yeah, as if anyone could forget something like _that_! – kept coming back and with it came a voice that argued against my sanity. Damn voice. I had enough problems already, so to put “questioning my sanity” on that list too was, at this point, just plainly rude. How dare my mind to conjure up thoughts like that!?

Then again, that stupid voice wasn't wrong. The damn hunger wouldn't stop, even after I literally ate the rabbit. A thought that still made me shudder. _Why_ was I _that_ hungry when I had _literally_ eaten a plentiful breakfast this morning!? After weeks of walking through the desert and the Middle Lands on as little food as I have ever had in my entire life, one would think that I would have gotten over my spoiled peckish ways. But _no_ , apparently _not!_

Convinced that exactly that was the root of my hunger, I chose to solemnly ignore it. Instead, I focused on other things that kept me up day and night, like my _SANITY_ for example! By the gods, just why!? I had lost about as much as one could lose in the last moon: my family, my home, my name (kind of), heck, I have lost my _life! LITERALLY!_ Why did I now also seem to lose my sanity!? Couldn't I at least keep that much? Apparently not!

I licked over my lips. This was ridiculous. I have basically _just eaten_ and now I was feeling light-headed and empty as if I hadn't done so for days. This was _not_ normal, but I didn't dare to ask Terence for food. It had to last for weeks after all.

About all I could do at this point was to pray to the gods that my next idea was something that was, for once, actually going to work! Seeing how Terence left his bags in the wagon with me, I rummaged through them and pulled out a book I have seen him reading in once and again. It was something Celestia had given him when she had met briefly before we arrived Kerven.

The book wasn't exactly thrilling, just a guide about Nordberg, counting off the seven districts, the surrounding villages, the castles and different bits of history to each little bit. It was more of a travel and employment guide than it was a tour guide actually, but being left with only the alternative of questioning my sanity, I happily settled for browsing through the little book.

I actually ended up learning a lot about Nordberg that I haven't known before. While it didn't exactly follow a thrilling story, which was what I would have preferred when reading a book, it still gave me some sort of heads-up for what I should be expecting to encounter in the northern city. The part that scared me about it was the fact that dark mages, once found out, were chased and hanged. This went back to the infamous “Big Witch Hunt” of 353, where the hunt for dark magic users had first started. Well, I was not using dark magic per se, but who said that they wouldn't also hang a Caspana? It also didn't exactly soothe me to read that the king of Sraderham, the gryphon king, wasn't the most reasonable kind of guy, as gryphons never were. I made a mental note to stay away from gryphons and _especially_ from Sraderham, unless it couldn't be prevented.

All other districts seemed to be quite nice actually, especially Elden and Brackhill. I already, without reading it, concluded that the Middle District would be out of the question to live in. There was the cathedral, the arena and the famous library. To live there would probably cost a fortune! A fortune we definitely did not have. Maybe Terence and I would find something in Elden or Brackhill. Or even at the border of Aysel, since Dedmonia, the best magic academy of Nordberg, was there. I doubted that I would be able to get in there, even if I was talented enough. It was simply too expensive.

I guess we would cross that bridge when we got to it. First off, we had to get to Nordberg and find a place to live.

The book did its job of distracting me – a little at least – but that only worked until I had read through it. It took me three days to read the entire thing, but once that was done, there was basically nothing else to do. This brought me back to what I had been doing pre-book-reading:

_Walking._

And doing a miserable job at it too! Even more miserable than before, if that was even possible. Basically, every third step I did, I tripped due to nausea and my attention kept being all over the place. It let me run into Terence frequently and at one point even into one of the wagons. It took half an hour before I was ordered back _into_ the wagon, before I would accidentally stumble under the wheels of one. A founded worry, since that had really almost happened at one point!

Sitting around and doing nothing was worse than walking though. I tried napping at one point but found myself unable to do even _that_. My muscles ached from not being moved a lot in the last few days and my body practically _begged_ me to stretch them again. The short time outside “walking” had made me even more restless than before. It was like I had gotten the taste of something delightful, only to have it been redrawn almost immediately. I needed to move, needed to run, needed to _hunt_ , to _kill_ , to-

I ended that train of thought rather abruptly. So was I finally back to questioning my sanity? It appeared so. Great.

I dubbed this damned voice inside my head “little demon” and tried very stubbornly not to listen to it. The more I thought about this voice, the more memories of it I seemed to have. Trivial small things I have forgotten since we arrived in Kerven. Well, not _really_ trivial, since I had thought about downright murdering the changeling. But that brought up another question: What exactly was the deal with the Seelie and Unseelie Courts? There seemed to be some sort of rivalry between them, from what the changeling had said. I would be good to keep the facts together, just so I didn't succumb to the little demon voice again.

First things first, I was a Caspana, a fae of the Seelie Court. I had a voice that made people cover in fear, but that had no effect on other fae. And I had an obsession with hunting, killing and eating meat.

This was not a good situation to be in, especially when one's entire body _begged_ to just fulfil the latter mentioned obsession. It had become a physical pain to resist it. So much even, that I had to think of a mantra and keep repeating it in my head.

_Wait until tonight, then you go hunting. Wait until tonight, then you go hunting. Wait until tonight, then you-_

“Everything okay, Drako?” I had been so focused on my mantra, that Terence's sudden appearance startled me. Embarrassingly enough, my first reaction was to hiss at him. Something, as I later realized, never apologized for. I really had been _out_ of it.

“No”, I simply replied without clarification and a slight glare. Terence threw me a worried frown and still seemed to wait for a proper answer. I sighed exasperatedly and rolled my eyes in annoyance.

“I'll go out hunting tonight, okay? It's driving me insane!”

Terence at first looked like he was about to argue, but shut his mouth again. He had watched me progress into more and more insanity in the last days and so he probably understood where I was coming from. We stared at each other in silence for a while, him still walking behind the wagon, gazing at me, while I lay in it. Eventually he sighed.

“I guess you do”, he said and looked utterly defeated, as if he had just lost a battle. Then he looked at me again with determination. “But I'm not giving up on you, kid. We'll figure something out so that this won't drive you literally insane anymore.”

I could just nod. It felt weirdly passive towards Terence at that moment, as if his words didn't deserve consideration. A desperate thought from a few weeks back crawled its way back to the forefront of my mind.

_Everyone hates fae. And I hate every mortal._

It was not a thought of _mine_ but rather of the little demon inside my head. But right now, I simply lacked the strength to fight the thought entirely. It was kind of right after all. Why did I need to have compassion for them when they hate me anyway? They are frail beings anyway, what good can they do?

Terence, seeming to notice my mood shift just threw me a warning, but also vary glance before disappearing from my field of vision again, probably continuing to walk next to the wagon. I sighed. This was going to be a long night.

……………………………………..

Terence, understanding my urgency to get out and hunt something, helped me to sneak away from the group of merchants unnoticed. I barely had any recollection of what happened afterwards though. All I knew that I was pursuing something very eagerly while moving swiftly through the woods, as if I had never done anything else.

Only when I had eaten my way through half a boar did I even realize what I was doing. Had I caught something else before that? The faint memory of yet another mangled rabbit and a badger ghosted through my head, but that was it already.

I ignored the disgust I suddenly started feeling again of what I was doing and kept eating. I knew this helped. It let me keep my sanity, one of the only things I still had. I had to hold on to it if I didn't want to become the monster everyone thought me to be. If hunting witless animals and eating them raw was the deal, then I'd do that.

Rationality didn't stop the tears of desperation and hopelessness though. I had never felt as helpless as I was feeling right now, blood all over me with my teeth tearing at the flesh of my prey. I regretted it greatly. I regretted everything. First and foremost, I regretted ignoring the voice that had urged me to this. The voice didn't mean any harm, as I realized now. The voice was instinct. An instinct that kept me alive and told me how to live. I wouldn't have to follow its path of loathing mortals or the Unseelie Court, but I had to listen to it when it came to keeping my body and mind alive and healthy. No matter how much this method of handing it disgusted me.

When I returned to Terence, the blood on me was gone. I had washed it off in a nearby river and had almost drowned in the process. Luckily, we had the foresight of leaving my cloak here. It would otherwise be ruined now. And so, I walked towards the waiting grullo stallion as a dripping, shivering, crying mess. I was disgusted with myself, hopeless with my predicament and freezing from the biting cold of the water.

Terence know just what to do though, rubbing me dry with a warm cloth and wrapping me in several blankets. We both lay down in one of the wagons and I silently, under sobs, told him what happened and what I realized.

“We can work with that, I guess”, he eventually said when I ended and looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

“Really?”, I sniffed.

“Yes. All you need to do is going hunting regularly to satisfy this hunting urge you seem to have. And of course, we have to get you a lot of meat to eat, so that you don't get as hungry after it again.”

It sounded easy. Too easy. There had to be a catch and I immediately found it.

“But meat is expensive.”

Terence sighed. “It's either that, or you going insane on a regular basis. I'd rather spend a few more Silverend for food than to see you like that again.”

What he said made me feel warmer than the blankets around me and I smiled. I was so glad that Celestia had asked Terence to help me. He was probably the kindest person I have ever met.

I snuggled closer to him, searching comfort and also wanting to show my gratitude.

“Thank you, Terence.”

It had helped! Oh, thank _the gods_ and _Cynfor_ it had helped! When I woke up the next morning my thoughts did not centre around hunting and killing anymore and I also did not crave meat as desperately as I had the weeks before. It was like I had been reborn once again. To say I was relived was the understatement of the century. I was downright ecstatic!

My days were no longer spent laying in the wagon alone and contemplating my destiny because my coordination had returned with my undivided sanity! Which basically meant that I did not fail at walking anymore and could actually master it.

Now I could trot next to Terence and the merchants and talk. It felt good to have some normality return to my life. Walking, talking, actually _admiring_ my surroundings that were all new and exciting! Stopping in the evening to feed the oxen and eat something ourselves, going to sleep, waking up the next morning and eating breakfast before we got going again – it quickly became a routine.

After five days though, I started to become easily irritable again. Sure, I had eaten about as much meat as I could, but I had not been hunting ever since that one night. Which only meant that Terence had been right. I didn't just need meat, I also needed to hunt and kill to keep me grounded. If that was going to be my trade for sanity, then so be it.

Hunting while sane was a lot harder, because about half of me still did not want it, while the other half did. It lead me to run around the forest almost half the night until I finally caught something.

And so, my list of problems grew again with yet another bullet point: I _sucked_ at hunting. The only logical conclusion therefore was to learn how to do it. Well, a hunter was probably not the worst occupation to have, but I had to catch these animals with my teeth, not with an arrow, otherwise the thrill would be lost to me! This also meant that no one but myself could teach me how to do it. I had to learn everything myself and by scratch.

There was a lot of things I had to learn by myself from scratch actually. I should probably make a list of that too. It was at this point that I asked myself if those lists were actually useful at all. A good question. I would come back to it later. _Put it on the list. Ha!_

Overall, I started feeling better though. The hunting was added to the routine and I started to feel almost _normal_ again. It was a weird, but also satisfying feeling. Like I finally got the grip on something in my life while the rest was still in shambles. Broken pieces I would pick up one by one and put back together. Until my to do list of life would only be narrowed down to one single bullet point:

_Return to Monabur and fix everything._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find amusement in the fact that the last one had an innocent title with mature content and this one has an ominous title with mostly harmless content.  
> Turns out I don't need to write a lot of actual dialogue to get thigns going, like I thought I needed for months. An inner monolgue by Drako was all it took. And the muse kissed me yesterday, so that should be taken into consideration too. I wrote it in a way that is amusing, since I felt we were going quite dark already and I don't want to depress anyone here. You should enjoy reading this after all!


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